Beginning: Part Two Ossyria
by MissMeowsa
Summary: After a hard battle on Victoria island, Sira makes her way to Ossyria to learn the truth about the Dragon Knights.
1. Chapter 1

**This is _Part 2_ of the fan fiction i'm writing for the game Maple Story. If you havent read _Part 1_, please do so before reading this part :) **

The white shimmering robe Sira had woke up in beats against her legs in the fierce wind on the deck of the ship. She clings to the railing and peers over the edge. She wonders how it's possible for them to be floating in the air. No land can be seen below. All she can see is the never ending whiteness of clouds. A feeling of light-headedness passes through her as the ship sways in the wind. What had happened in Perion? She remembers everything being destroyed and brief moments of pain and despair. She thought she was going to die. The man had been there too. He had been taunting her. He wanted her spirit. Had she gone berserk again? She remembers Zenith. She feels a lump in her throat. A hand taps her shoulder gently and she turns around.

"You should be lying down," says a soft concerned voice.

"I needed to get some fresh air," explains Sira.

Sira looks at Valencia. The cleric takes her hand and guides her to a sitting area on the deck.

"How are you feeling?" asks Valencia.

Sira hesitates a little.

"Confused," she eventually answers. "Worried…"

"I'm sure Zenith will be fine," says Valencia, not sure if she believes her own words.

"Did he really kill my father…?" asks Sira not realizing how blunt the question seemed.

Valencia doesn't know what to answer.

"I remember…" says Sira, "feeling very angry. I wanted to kill him. But as soon as I thought of killing him I felt like crying for having such thoughts. I kept telling myself that it couldn't be true. But it is true… isn't it?"

Valencia looks over at Sira. The cleric doesn't know what to say. Zenith had told her and Jaimus the story. She knew it was the truth.

"They want me dead," says Sira, "because of this damn dragon spirit. They want me dead just like my father."

"That's why we are going to Ossyria," says Valencia. "Zenith told me to take you here. You would be safe there. He was worried about you…he didn't want them to kill you."

The floor shakes a little and diverts the attention of the two girls' towards the edge of the ship. The sun breaks through the clouds and glistening white stone towers loom on the horizon. They have arrived in Ossyria.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The sun shines down through the clouds and reflects off the white marble that covers the town. Valencia and Sira stare in wonder at the flowers and feathers that decorate the area. Both would agree that they have never seen a place so beautiful. In the distance, town's folk scurry in lavish clothing, while fairy's glide from building to building. The very air they now breathe has an essence of magic to it. A warm feeling of serenity engulfs them as they enter the center of the town. Orbis, nestled in the clouds high above the continent of Ossyria, is the home of the fairies.

The Mage that had allowed them passage on the ship guides them down a busy street. Sira wonders how it's possible for a city to be held in the sky by clouds. She assumes that it would be the same way their ship had been able to fly. She goes to ask, but the Mage gestures them towards a building. They pass through the doorway and into a large building lined with weapons. A few people are gathered looking over maps and plans at one end of the shop. Another small bunch of people are receiving orders from a group leader. At the very back of the building stand two cloaked figures in conversation. The Mage leads them towards the back. As they approach, the clocked men turn towards them. Sira and Valencia both feel like they are being thoroughly examined by these two mysterious cloaked men.

The mage steps forward and leans in to whisper to one of the men. Sira can faintly make out what he is saying and understand that he is explaining to the cloaked man their identities. The man seems surprised at the sight of the two women. He steps towards them and then peers at them from under his hood.

"Come with me," he says.

Sira and Valencia exchange looks and follows the cloaked man. They watch as he opens a hatch on the floor, revealing a set of stairs. They nervously follow him down into the darkness of the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs the man claps his hands and everyone in the room scurries out of the cellar leaving only him and the two women. He pulls down his hood and turns towards Sira and Valencia. He's a young man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He carries a sword on his back. Sira assumes he is the leader of an army of this land.

"My name is Tylus," he says in a husky voice. "Pardon my surprise, but we do not receive visitors from other continents often."

Neither Valencia nor Sira know what to say and remain silent.

"You come seeking refuge?" he asks.

"Well…yes," says Sira.

"You have come to a bad place for that my dear," he says.

"We were told to come here," says Valencia.

There is a brief moment of silence before Tylus continues.

"Our lands are in turmoil," he explains. "We ourselves are refugees in this fairy town."

"They would have killed her," pleads Valencia.

"Yes, I've heard the claims," says Tylus. "The dragon's spirit, is it not?"

"You know of it?" asks Valencia.

The man laughs softly.

"Oh yes," he answers. "Tell me then child, what do you know of the dragon's spirit?"

"Not much," says Sira. "I knew it as a legend my entire life, but I only learned more details in the past few days."

"Your land suffers as well, doesn't it?" he asks.

"Yes, there has been a lot of suffering the past few days," she answers.

"I'm saddened by the news," he says. "Do you know what a dragon knight is?"

"A dragon knight?" ponders Sira. "One of possesses the dragon's spirit."

"Yes, that is correct," he answers. "Do you know how one possesses this spirit?"

"Well…I heard it was only select few who possessed it," says Sira. "The very strong..."

"Hmm, yes, that is true," he answers. "There are two ways to become a dragon knight. Do you know them?"

Sira shakes her head no.

"One, be born with the spirit," Tylus grins. "Two, train hard and be given the spirit."

"Given?" asks Sira feeling confused. "How do you give the spirit?"

The man laughs softly again.

"I can understand your curiosity," he says. "Your society, Victoria Island, refuses to ascend to the third level of training. It does not surprise me that you know so little. You are not the first lost soul that has found refuge on our continent."

"Please I need to know everything you can tell me," Sira urges him to continue.

"What is important right now is whether or not you possess the spirit," says Tylus.

"And what then?" asks Valencia suspiciously. "What will you do with Sira?"

"She will help us," says Tylus. "We need all the help we can get."

"What kind of help?" asks Valencia raising her voice.

"Its o.k. Val," says Sira. "I just want to learn everything I can about myself. I want to stop being consumed by the hatred before it swallows me whole."

The man smiles.

"Walk with me," he says.

Tylus and the two women leave the cellar and the weapon's shop. They walk through the streets until they reach a calm area with benches.

"There's no need for us to stay cooped up in the cellar," says Tylus. "Our societies are very different from one another, Sira…Our histories, our methods, our beliefs."

Sira and Valencia both listen carefully to what Tylus has to say.

"Victoria Island made mistakes in the past incurring the wrath of a powerful beast," explains Tylus. "The result created warriors more powerful then they could handle. You see, during the Great War, hundreds of years ago, the leaders of Victoria tried to develop new skills, new spells, new fighting techniques to protect themselves and defeat their enemies. They trained their strongest with these new skills and waged a war like no one had ever seen or saw again. Many people died…"

Sira nods. She remembers hearing of the Great War. However, she had never heard of these 'new skills'.

"The warrior clan of Perion was losing the battle quickly. They could not defeat the other range fighters; their brute strength was not enough. The leader of Perion sent his strongest warrior on a quest to the center of the island; a quest that lead him into the depths of the earth. There he came face to face with the most powerful creature on the island: a dragon. It lay dormant in its sanctuary asleep for hundreds of years. A sleep that came to an end when the warrior demanded it lends the people of Perion its mighty strength. When the dragon woke it was furious and refused the warrior's request. The warrior continued to demand for help, infuriating the beast even more. The warrior could not return to Perion empty handed. The fate of his people rested in his hands. When he finally began threatening and attacking the beast, the dragon fought back. Still drowsy from its sleep the dragon was not prepared to face a battle and finally died by the spear of the warrior. The warrior had lost all control of himself and his own pride and selfishness had fueled him to the point of killing the beast. Of course he realized he had killed the last hope for his people and cowardly decided he must take his own life. His pride would not let him return empty handed. He let himself fall onto his spear, piercing his stomach. He rolled over in pain next to the dragon. They both stared at each other in their final moments. The dragon lifted its front claw dripping with blood and held it over the warrior's wounds. It told the warrior that it would not die so easily. That he would now carry the dragon's wrath and would spread the fury through the ages. The warrior survived and returned to the surface a changed man. He was stronger then any other warrior and had mysterious powers no one could understand. The people in the town of Sleepywood kept him protected for they understood what he really was. They had worshipped the dragon in the sanctuary and knew this man was its reincarnation."

Tylus pauses for a minute.

"To shorten the story and get to the point," continues Tylus. "That is how the dragon's spirit was born. That one warrior who slew the dragon with his spear carried and passed on through generations the fury of the dragon. The spear is a key element with using the power. We don't know how to explain it but in order to truly wield the spirit you must have a spear or pole arm in hand. Anyway, as years went by and the war continued, the immense power was discovered by the military and used for their selfish purposes. By the time the war was over, one hundred and fifty years had passed. Many offspring's had shown traces of the spirit. The military gathered them and trained them. Only problem was, when someone with the dragon's spirit becomes enraged, or desperate, or sad, or on the verge of death, that is when the power is unleashed. One, who is not trained, goes out of control, becomes berserk and eventually, like you said, is consumed by it. This is what happened when Victoria tried to use the power. They had not trained the spearmen sufficiently. The spearmen with the spirit killed hundreds of innocent people. The leader of Perion realized his mistake and commanded they be exterminated. It was done. Dragon Knights slipped into the mask of a legend and the mistake was covered up."

"What about the other classes?" asks Valencia. "Why haven't we heard of the new techniques they developed during the war?"

"When the war ended and the dragon knight's were killed the leaders of Victoria island passed a Law. This law forbids any use of what they call 'third job skills'. The incident with the dragon knight's made them fearful of power."

"I guess the reason they put us in teams is that they were trying to find a solution to our spawn problem without having to resort to higher level skills," says Valencia thinking out loud.

"There are dragon knights still alive, here?" asks Sira.

"Yes, when the extermination began a small group of people of all classes escaped on a ship and sailed until they reached this continent, Ossyria. They built a town and a new life."

"And they continued the training…" says Sira.

"Yes," says Tylus. "The people who came here wanted to continue pursuing the third job skills they had learned for the war. They did not want to be restricted by the new law. The spawns on this island are far more dangerous then the ones on Victoria island. Third job skills are necessary to insure our survival."

"That's…amazing," says Sira still in awe.

She can't believe that there exists an entire new level of skills. She can't believe that there are more dragon knights. Dragon Knights who can control their powers?

"The dragon knight's," says Sira. "They can control their power? They don't go berserk?"

"Yes," answers Tylus. "In fact, with enough training and enough strength the power can be summoned even without the extreme cases of despair."

"It was frightening," says Sira. "I'm afraid I might not be strong enough to control it."

"Well darling," says Tylus standing. "We don't even know if you have the spirit yet. It's a rare thing you know… having it naturally."

"How can I find out?" asks Sira hopping onto her feet enthusiastically.

"You'll have to go a short journey," explains Tylus.


	3. Chapter 3

Dawn broke through the clouds early the next morning but Sira was already out the door before it happened. Tylus had told her to be at the tower's entrance at the crack of dawn. She hurried through the empty cobble stone streets eager to find out more about the dragon's spirit. When she arrives at the tower, she sees a warrior leaning against a pole arm weapon. The warrior looks at the approaching girl. When Sira arrives, she examines the warrior's incredible armour and weapon. She recognizes the armour from the shop in town and almost gasps. The person standing before her would be at least of the 10th level. That's over 100 promotions and higher then Sira had even thought possible. In Victoria, the highest level fighter she knew was the 7th level. Most of the warrior's face was covered but Sira could tell it was a woman before the person spoke because of the armour. The Dark Lucida armour had been the one that caught Sira's eye in the shop. It was all black lined with gold on the edges. She realises she is starring at the warrior and looks away embarrassed. Sira wonders if this magnificent warrior was going to be the guide that Tylus had told her about the previous evening. She goes to say something but the elite warrior speaks first.

"Sira?" she asks in a low voice.

"Yes," answers Sira still feeling a little embarrassed.

"You've been briefed?" she asks.

"Yes," answers Sira.

"Let's go," says the woman.

Sira felt weak and inferior to this highly decorated and elite fighter. She walks behind in awe and couldn't help but wonder what kind of skills she was capable of. She felt honoured to be able to accompany the Pole Arm woman on this short journey. They begin their walk down the 20 floor tower that would lead them to the snowy fields of Ossyria. The Pole Arm woman who had never introduced herself had given Sira a thermos with some red bean soup. She warned Sira of the deadly cold weather in Ossyria and told her to take a drink regularly from the soup in order to stay warm. They climbed down by staircases and ladders through a multitude of little mechanical creatures Sira had never seen before.

"Sentinels," says the high level warrior. "They were guards but we lost control over them and suddenly they started to attack our soldiers and villagers. No idea why."

"That's weird", says Sira avoiding a small laser from one of the sentinels.

"A lot of things are weird here lately," says the warrior with a grunt.

"Can I ask you name," asks Sira?

"Look missy," says the warrior. "I'm not here to make friends. I'm here because that damn Tylus ordered me."

Sira suddenly feels like an annoying little insect. Her admiration for her companion turns a little sour. She shrugs and brushes off the sassy attitude of the warrior and continues in silence. As they descend the tower, the air becomes colder and the creatures change to small painful balls of fur and nasty little penguins.

"This is the end of tower," says the warrior. "Take a drink of your soup and let's go. It's a short walk to town."

They walk out into a snowy field and Sira feels the cold wind whip her face. She starts to slide a little on the ice but steady's herself on her companion. The Speargirl turns and looks at Sira and she lets go.

"Sorry," says Sira embarrassed.

"We'll get snowshoes in El Nath," answers the warrior.

They arrive at a set of run-down gates with a broken sign marked El Nath. Two men stand guard and salute them as they walk through. The town almost deserted.

"The spawns destroyed most of the town," says the warrior as though reading Sira's thoughts. "The survivors are the refugees you saw in Orbis."

Sira and the warrior enter a small shop. She watches the warrior rummage through boxes. Sira ponders the arrogance with which she walks and moves. The small Speargirl just assumes it's part of the package. If you're as high level as this warrior you must be proud of yourself; especially a woman high level warrior. The warrior woman goes behind a few more boxes and finally pulls out a pair of snowshoes. Sira puts them on and they leave the store.

"There are no more merchants in the town," says the warrior. "We take what we need to fight."

Sira wonders what the town had been like before the spawns destroyed everything. Her curiosity is stronger then her feeling of inferiority and she braves a few questions.

"What happened?" she asks? "Who is responsible for all of this?"

"The Skill Eaters and the Zakum," growls the woman. "We have nothing to do with their war, but we're still caught in the middle of it."

Sira shivers at the sound of the Skill Eaters. She has a flash of the man that brought the destruction to Victoria Island. She feels a little light headed at the thought of more people like him.

"There are many of them? The Skill eaters..." she asks.

"Many?" snorts the warrior. "There's an entire god forsaken army of them. It's a war you see. A war for territory. The Skill Eaters are greedy bastards and want to be the superior beings on this island. Zakum was dormant until they went and screwed everything up. Now they want him gone... But Zakum is the one who controls the spawns on the island. He controls the spawns pretty much everywhere if you ask me. Zakum is like a god, he can't be killed. He has incredible regeneration powers. He's pissed off and we're suffering the consequences."

"Everywhere?" asks Sira.

"Your little island of ignorant fools been filling up with spawns in the past year?" asks the warrior.

"Yes," says Sira.

"Blame Zakum," answers the warrior.

"What is Zakum exactly?" asks Sira.

"One big son of bitch you want to keep as far away from as possible," explains the warrior. "Lives down in the cave of trials: An underground passage filled with beasts that would chomp you up in one bite. This island belongs to Zakum. We didn't bother him so he didn't bother us. Damn Skill Eaters."

They leave the town and enter a field filled with yetis and wolves. They manage to avoid them and continue their path.

"Don't engage unless necessary," says the warrior. "Tylus said he didn't know your strength. Probably means you're nice and weak...Especially if you're from Victoria."

"I'm the 5th level," says Sira shamefully.

"Eh?" says the warrior turning and looking at Sira for the first time. "Then this should be a waste of time."

"What do you mean?" asks Sira.

The warrior sighs and turns her back to Sira to continue their trek through the snow.

"You sure do like ask questions Missy," grunts the warrior sounding annoyed.

"You sure do like to act like you're better then everyone else," says Sira.

She instantly regrets it and wants to kick herself. There goes she goes again... letting her emotions spew out verbally. Not only does Sira have a short temper, she has a mouth that gets her into trouble quite often.

"I am," says the warrior without turning around.

"Then why are you escorting a 5th level on a little journey?" says Sira digging her hole deeper.

The warrior turns and looks at Sira again. Beneath the helm Sira can see a icy glare. She bites her lip.

"Let's cut the sass and get this over with," says the warrior.

"You didn't answer my question," says Sira.

The warrior sighs again and continues walking.

"Because the spirit usually emerges when you reach the strength and skill of the 7th level," she answers.

"Oh..." says Sira."I had a hard time reaching the 5th level. Maybe i was wrong about having the spirit..."

"We'll see when we get to the stone," says the warrior.

Sira doesn't know if she's likes or dislikes her warrior companion. She finds her arrogant and rude but also impressive, strong and assertive. She decides to overlook the woman's attitude.

They stop on a ledge and look down. The ground below is covered with dozens of white wolves. Amongst the wolves are large yetis with penguins. The yetis hammer their fists on the ground furiously and Sira feels the ground shake beneath her feet. She takes a deep breath as she realises that this is going to hurt. Sira goes to ask how they will make it through but the warrior raises a hand gesturing for her to stay there. She jumps off the ledge and lands amongst wolves and yetis. Sira looks over and is startled by a ground shaking roar. An enormous dragon takes shape in red smoke and its jaw opens and closes in a loud chomp that makes her fall to the ground. She is spellbound by the sight and a million thoughts flood her mind. Through all her admiration of the warrior she hadn't thought of the possibility of her being a Dragon Knight. Was she? Was this the power of a trained Dragon Knight? Her jaw is still dropped when she hears the warrior call out to her.

"Hurry up and get your ass down here before more spawns come," says the woman.

Sira jumps down and scurries through the field and up cliffs as fast as she can. She sees more of the beasts coming. They climb another little cliff and settle near a wooden gate.

"The monsters get worst as we go deeper into the mountains," says the warrior. "We're almost at the stone."

They walk a little farther and see more new creatures. They manage to avoid de larger one. The warrior slays them quickly if they get in their way. Sira is amazed by the strength. They climb up an old ladder and the warrior points to the top of a cliff.

"That's the entrance to the Stone," she explains.

"That wasn't so bad," says Sira.

"Because I did all the work," says the warrior with a smirk.

They go to climb up another ladder when the warrior companion is knocked to the ground by a flame strike. Sira looks up and sees a tall dark figure cackling and pointing a flame arrow towards her. The arrow fires, but she's up the ladder in time to avoid it. The cackling turns into a psychotic laugh. She knows what this thing is; and her heart sinks at the thought of it.

Valencia rubs her hands nervously as the elder cleric looks at her. She hopes he will agree to her wish. His gaze turns thoughtful and he begins to twirl the hairs of his long grey beard.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks.

"Positive," says Valencia sternly. "I want to help my friend."

Valencia gets to her feet and looks down towards the warrior. She sees her marching furiously towards the ladder. Her lips are moving but she can't see what is being said. She assumes it's a long line of cussing and other foul words. She hears a second sound of cackling and looks up. There are two of the Skill Eaters now. Once at the top of the ladder, the warrior charges at them with a loud angry growl.

"Get to the stone," says the warrior as she passes Sira.

Sira obeys and tries to make it up the cliff away from the battle between the two skill eaters and her companion. She almost makes it to the stone when she hears the earth shatter behind her. She sees the warrior struggling and about to fall over a cliff. Without thinking twice about her actions, she turns around and heads towards the battle. She slides to her knees in time to grab the woman's hand.

"Go back you idiot," yells the woman. "I'll be fine; they're just toying with me. Get to the stone!"

Sira tugs the warrior up onto the ledge. She looks behind her. The cliff falls off into a dark crease in the mountain. Sira can hear running water but can't see the bottom. She turns back around when she feels the warrior woman move to attack. She sees a white light and feels a familiar jolt knock her back. She lets out a scream when she realises she's falling into the dark unknown of the mountain crease.

She hits the water hard and swallows a mouthful of the freezing liquid. She pushes herself out of the water and gasps for air. The icy water paralysis her for a moment and she doesn't think she can move until she hears a small yell for help. She realises she hadn't been alone to fall. The warrior woman had fallen as well. She looks around and sees a bobbing head in the water a little ways away. She swims towards the warrior. The temperature of the water is making the swim difficult. She is out of breath and has a hard time to move her arms and legs. She sees arms stick out of the water momentarily. Sira takes a deep breath and plunges her head into the freezing water of the river. The cold on her eyes is painful but she opens them enough to see the warrior. She is frightened when she sees the motionless body. Sira swims forward, grabs her lifeless arm and tugs her out of the water. The warrior's lips are blue, face is pale and her head tips to the side as she rests unconscious on Sira's arm. After a minute of kicking and forcing her way through the river Sira finds the river shore. She pulls the woman out of the water and looks around anxiously.

She spots a large crack in the cliff wall and pulls the warrior towards it. They slip into the crease and Sira discovers a large open cave area. She lays the woman down and tries to remember her mandatory health course she had taken when entering training. She presses down on the woman's chest a few times and checks for breathing. She repeats until the woman gasps for air spitting out mouthfuls of water. Her eyes open for a minute as Sira explains to her that she needs to find something for a fire. Sira watches the woman's eyes close again as she empties the supply bag. Most of it is drenched in water but a few waterproof pouches remain. She finds flint for a fire and runs back out of the cave. Her knees buckle for a minute and she falls to her knees in the snow. The pain and cold make her cry out, but she gets back up. She looks around and sees a few small trees growing out of the side of the cliff. She manages to climb a little, grab hold of the branches and break them off. When she has enough she rushes back to the cave. The branches are cold but not wet. She was lucky that it had been a relatively warm week in Ossyria. She gets a fire going. Her hands are shaking, but as the fire begins to warm the cave she removes all of her clothing. She is still cold and shaking but it feels better to be rid of the wet clothes. The bag she had been carrying was the lightest one and had a blanket and a few articles of clothing in it. They had not been damaged or soaked by the water. She puts a shirt on and starts undressing the woman to get her out of the wet and cold clothes. She takes off her gloves, her boots, her armour and her helmet. She then removes her shirt and stops and stares at something that didn't seem right. She blinks and despite the cold she almost gasps. Where there should have been the round shape of a woman's breasts, was a muscular but flat chest of a man.


	4. Chapter 4

The streets of the city have never been so empty. Some of the villagers have returned to help with the reconstruction project, but many are still fearful. They have every right to be fearful. Less then a hundred people survived per town.

The Nora hospital comes into view and the wary bowman makes his way towards the entrance. It had been over a week since he had parted with his two female friends. He wonders what had happened to them. He wonders if they had made it to Ossyria safely.

Jaimus writes his name down on the visitors sheet and goes down the hallway he had taken every day this week. He usually made his visit in the morning, but he had spent the day being questioned about the incident in Perion. In two weeks he would stand trial for the death of a Kerning officer. He sighed at the thought and pushed open the door to Zenith's room. His eyes survey the room with confusion. He had thought to see the assassin laying unconscious in bed, but there was no one. He hears a noise in the washroom. A few seconds later Zenith comes through the door carrying a bag. He looks at Jaimus and then goes towards the table by the bed. Jaimus is shocked. Zenith is awake. What more, he is acting as though nothing has happened.

"Zenith!" says Jaimus. "You're awake!"

"Be quiet and close the door," says Zenith.

Jaimus obeys and watches the assassin put the pack on his back and glare out the window.

"Going somewhere?" asks Jaimus.

The assassin doesn't answer.

"Man, you were badly hurt, you need to lay down," continues Jaimus.

"You need to talk less loud," says Zenith approaching the bowman.

"Dark Lord was in to see me this morning when I woke up," continues the assassin. "I asked him about Ossyria and he explained to me about the war going on there."

"A war?" asks Jaimus.

"That thing..."says the Zenith. "The man...he is a creature from Ossyria. There are more there..."

"What are you going to do?" asks Jaimus.

"I sent Sira there," says Zenith.

"Are you worried about her?" says Jaimus with a big grin.

"We're both going to stand trial for what happened to my sensei," says Zenith. "Who knows when I'll be able to get to Ossyria. I need to go now."

"Woah woah woah," says Jaimus. "We can't just go to Ossyria. We have no transportation."

"I'm not asking you to come," says Zenith. "Im going to take a boat and then walk the rest of the way."

"You'll die...Ossyria is freezing."

"I'll walk fast," says Zenith going towards the window.

"I can't let you do this... it's suicide," says Jaimus.

Zenith spins around and knocks Jaimus against the wall. The bowman doesn't move. Zenith holds a dagger to his throat.

"Are you going to try and stop me?" says Zenith lowering his dagger.

A moment of silence passes between them.

"I'm responsible for her father's death. I lured my sensei to her. I sent her away to a land filled with war," says Zenith.

Jaimus smiles.

"I'm going with you," says Jaimus. "Whether you like it or not."


	5. Chapter 5

The fire crackles as Sira sits pondering her companion who still lays unconscious. After undressing the so-called female warrior, Sira covered him with a blanket and went for more firewood. The fire is now very large and the entire cave is warm and cozy. She hears movement and turns her head to the side to see the warrior stirring. After around an hour, her companion finally wakes up. Sira turns her body to sit facing the warrior. The warrior sits up with the blanket still around him and looks at Sira who has her eye brow arched in a questioning manner.

"What happened?" the warrior asks.

"We fell into the river and you almost drowned," says Sira. "We would have died of pneumonia or hypothermia had it not been for the soup."

The warrior looks embarrassed for showing weakness; for being saved by someone like Sira. He grunts and looks away. His face turns suddenly pale when he realises he's naked under the blanket. His hand clutches the blanket tighter. Sira notices.

"You," says the warrior but is cut by Sira.

"Undressed you," says Sira looking away embarrassed.

"I can explain…" says the warrior, his voice becoming slightly more masculine.

Sira had found the voice of the warrior deep but had thought nothing of it. She now realises there had indeed been something to it.

"Please do," says Sira looking back towards her companion.

Sira looks at the warrior. The warrior who just a few hours before was a symbol of great strength and power, now sits looking fragile and cold, wrapped in a blanket.

"I'm really a guy," says the warrior.

"That much I figured out for myself," says Sira blushing slightly.

The warrior sighs. The cold, ignorant manner that the warrior once had is gone. He seems tired and embarrassed.

"I was born on Victoria Island," says the warrior. "I stowed away on a business vessel when I was a kid. No one knew me in Ossyria. I tried out to be a warrior and I didn't make it. I was too weak to be put with the others of my age and gender. I didn't want to return home. Anyway… one day I heard there was a ship from Victoria arriving with a few new fighters. I got the idea that maybe I would be able to class with the girls. I don't know what I was thinking really... I don't know if I expected to be able to switch over to the men's army eventually. I just wanted to train and become strong. I figured once I was strong enough it wouldn't matter what gender I was. And that's what I did. I was strong enough to join the women's training."

"Wouldn't it be hard to conceal your identity for all those years?" asks Sira.

The warrior lifts a bandana from his pile of drying clothes.

"I wore this on the bottom half of my face for the most part of my early life," says the warrior. "Being a warrior, I just stuck to helms that covered most of my face. I never socialised with anyone outside of training so I didn't get to know anyone without my armour on really. I let my hair grow long, practiced my voice and trained as hard as I could."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"I never thought I would be capable of this much strength and power," says the warrior. "Had I known…I would have waited a little and applied as a boy again..."

More silence. The warrior seemed to be remembering moments of his childhood.

"I got strong," he continues. "Exceptionally strong… but it was too late. I'm known now... Within the army ranks of Ossyria I have an exceptional status and even recognized as the top female warrior of the island. To tell them I'm a fraud now…well it's just too late."

The warrior stares at the fire and rests his chin on his knees.

"Is that why you're mean to others?" says Sira.

The warrior looks over at Sira surprised. He goes to reply with his usual attitude but once he opens his mouth nothing comes out. He thinks a little…

"Hell if I know," says the warrior almost whispering.

Sira smiles to herself.

"You just think if people get to know you," says Sira. "They'll discover your secret."

"No one better discover my secret," says the warrior shooting a cold stare at Sira.

"I would gain nothing by revealing you," says Sira.

Sira gets to her feet and checks to see how the clothes are drying. They don't seem to be damp anymore so she gathers everything and puts them back into the backpacks. She takes her clothes and goes to find an area where she can hide to get dressed. She stops and turns to the warrior.

"So will you tell me your name now?" says Sira.

"Chris," he says. "Not for Christine, but for Christopher.


	6. Chapter 6

Sira is breathing heavily by the time they reach the bottom of a series of cliffs. She holds her hand above her eyes as her vision gets use to the shiny light bouncing off the enormous crystals that dart up from the ground. In the center of the crystals stands a very tall black obelisk.

Sira and her companion Chris are still a little worn out from their fall into the river. However, they had managed to climb back up to their original path and make it to the place they were seeking.

"The Holy Stone," says Chris pointing to the obelisk.

"This..." says Sira."This is what will tell me if I have a spirit?"

"Yes," says Chris. "Those who wish to advance to the third level of training receive the fighter's spirit. It allows them to ascend to a new level of strength and power. This stone will recognise if you have the strength required to receive the spirit and develop new skills."

"It is only for the dragon knights?" asks Sira.

"No," says Chris. "…For all those who wish to advance to the 3rd level."

"But I'm not ready for the third level," says Sira. "How will it be able to tell me if I have the spirit?"

Chris sighs as though Sira should know all of this already.

"The stone possesses the dragon's spirit," says Chris. "Even if you're not a dragon knight, in order to maximise your skills you need a huge amount of strength…so… you require a strong spirit. Each class manipulates the spirit to fit their own abilities."

"How does it work?" asks Sira looking at the stone amazed.

"Hell if I know," says Chris rolling his eyes. "Just put your hands on the stone and see if it reacts. Tylus said if you have a natural spirit it'll do something funky like light up something."

Sira reaches out and places her hands on the cold black stone. She doesn't understand where this stone fits in the legend of the dragon knights but decides to believe in it anyway. Despite her hopes for answers, a minute goes by and nothing happens. She isn't sure what she is waiting to happen but looks back at Chris. Does the absence of a reaction mean she doesn't have a dragon's spirit, she thinks? Thoughts flood her head and she becomes confused. What is wrong with her if the spirit wasn't the case the times she went berzerk? She looks back at the stone and leans her head against it to rest.

"I guess there's no spirit..." says Chris annoyed. "Waste of my time..."

Sira goes to remove her hands from the stone but realises she can't. She pulls harder but they don't budge. She looks back at Chris confused.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asks.

"I can't take my hands off," she says. "They're stuck."

She tries to pull them off again when the hard exterior of the stone becomes soft, almost like a thick liquid.

"Chris..." she says.

She doesn't have time to resist. The stone begins to shine so bright she has to close her eyes. She can hear Chris's voice but it sounds very far away. She can feel herself being pulled forward. She feels herself falling through it, as her face touches the cold liquid of the stone.


	7. Chapter 7

The water beating against the wooden watercraft makes the passengers hold tight to their seats. They hadn't seen land for hours and the small boat was being furiously knocked around by waves. Jaimus and Zenith exchange looks for a moment.

"Do you regret your choice?" asks the assassin grinning.

"These waves are nothing," answers Jaimus trying to hide his feelings of motion sickness.

A wave plashes into their boat and both passengers can feel the change in temperature. The mildly cold waters that encircle Victoria Island are now turning into the frigid waters of Ossyria.


	8. Chapter 8

Sira feels two hands gently grab her shoulders and she opens her eyes. She looks up at the person who is gripping her and blinks. She thinks she is dreaming. She tries remembering what had just happened. Did she fall through the stone, she wonders? She doesn't see how it's possible; how it's possible to have this person standing before her.

"Fen..." says Sira, confused.

"Sira..." says the man.

Sira scans the person's face. He looks just like him; he sounds exactly like him. Is this really her brother, she wonders? She examines every inch of the face that she knew her entire life. It had to be him; it is him. She puts her hand on his cheek. He looks pale and thinner but it's him without a doubt, she concludes.

"Why did you come here?" asks her brother, looking concerned.

"What are you doing here?" she asks in return.

"Sira, I've been here for years," he says. "There's a war going on... a very dangerous war. You're not safe here."

"I'm safer here then on Victoria," says Sira.

Her brother looks at her confused and she emotionally explains everything that happened: The team system, the skill eater, her near death experiences, the assassin hunting her down… When she finishes her story, he has a saddened look on his face.

"I can't believe you have the spirit Sira…," says Fen. "You're so much stronger then I thought."

"I'm not strong…"she says almost crying. "It happens and takes control of me…It scares me. I can't possibly be strong enough for the spirit…I don't know what's happening to me."

It's the first time she really lets out how she feels. Her fears and her frustration come out with an abundance of tears and sobs. She holds onto her brothers arms. She doesn't know if she's crying for herself or for being able to see him after so many years.

"I felt it Sira," says her brother. "Your spirit…"

"What?" asks Sira.

"When I felt it, I was confused," he explains. "I was confused because it felt so familiar…It took me a while to realise it was you..."

He wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly. She cries even more feeling his arms around her.

"Why are you here?" she asks, still buried in his embrace.

"The same reason as you…" he says.

"Father," her brother continues to say. "They found out about him having the dragon's spirit...father also noticed I was starting to develop it as well. They came after us; two assassins. We managed to get away but father nearly died. It was at that moment that his spirit came out and saved him. However, he was saved at the cost of one of the assassin's life. He knew they were going to come for him again and would eventually learn of my own spirit and come for me as well. There was a boat leaving for Ossyria on an expedition, so he stowed me away on it. I didn't want to go but he convinced me..."

Sira takes a moment to acknowledge her brother's words. Her father had known they were coming for him. She understands the conversation she heard between her mother and her father a little more now. She hears her fathers voice in her head saying 'I felt it' followed by her mother's sobs. Everything seems to fit into place in her mind…Her father's death…Her brother's disappearance. Her grip on her brother tightens as spite for Victoria and its government fills her mind. Fen puts his hand on Sira's head as though to calm her.

"Don't hate them," says her brother. "They don't all have those beliefs within the leader ranks. Those who possess those beliefs have them through fear… not hatred. The elders of Ossyria have been working on a treaty with Victoria for a long time…Victoria has been reluctant but have become more reasonable over time as well…be patient Sira."

She pulls away and looks at her brother.

"Why are you here?" she asks. "Why are you in this stone?"

"It was my choice," he says reassuring her. "I'm the only living natural dragon spirit…"

He pauses a moment and smiles.

"I was the only living natural spirit," he corrects himself. "After the elder dragon knight passed away…I was the one in charge of passing the spirit onto those who wished to become dragon knights. However, after the war between the skill eaters and the Zakum broke out… our people needed a new strength. With the help of some high mages we developed a way to give the spirit to all the classes… not only the dragon knights. In order to heighten the power received at the 3rd level, it required the original power stone to be merged with the strength of the dragon's spirit. I volunteered to be sealed away and lend my power. There was no other choice…The stone was once powerful enough on its own, but the skill eaters had drained the majority of the stone's power to use for themselves. They are greedy and seek the power and skills of others to achieve their goal."

"Goal?" asks Sira.

"Defeat Zakum once and for all and take over the lands," says Fen. "Not only Ossyria, but Victoria and other islands as well. Zakum is the one who controls everything right now…"

"Can you ever leave?" asks Sira, sadly.

"It wasn't a concern of mine when I was sealed," says Fen. "All I wanted was the people to be safe, for the fighters of Ossyria to become strong enough to protect this land and others. I thought about you … and mother… and everyone else in Victoria. I thought about the people who helped me and cared for me in Ossyria. It wasn't a difficult choice."

Sira thinks she's going to cry again.

"Sira…go back to Tylus," says Fen. "Learn to control your spirit and stay alive. Stay alive until this is all over."

"I don't want to leave you here," she says.

"Don't worry about me…I'm safe," he says. "Now go…"

She doesn't have time to object again…she feels a strange pulling sensation and cold liquid on her back. She goes to plunge forward but her head hits the hard exterior of the Holy stone. She pulls her hands off the stone and falls back.

"Sira!" she hears from behind her.

She realises someone's hands is on her shoulders. She turns around to see Chris with a very puzzled look on his face.

"Sira!" he says again, sounding worried. "The hell is wrong with you?"

She looks at the stone then back at the man posing as a female warrior.

"I…"she says. "I went into the stone and met my brother!"

She sees Chris's expression under his helmet and realises how crazy she sounds.

"Sira, you freak," he says. "You were leaning against the stone crying and mumbling. I tried to shake you out of it but you continued to mumble."

"I didn't disappear?" she asks.

"No…" says Chris putting his hand on her forehead. "The stone did light up though! I guess you do have the spirit…weird"

"Chris," she says…"Do you know a Dragon Knight named Fen?"

"Umm, yeah…" says Chris. "He was the only known natural Dragon Knight…he gave me the spirit to become a knight a few years ago."

"That's how the stone gets its power," she explains enthusiastically. "They sealed him in the stone! My brother… he's in there!"

"Fen is your brother?" asks Chris. "Fen went off on a mission and never came back…"

Sira ignores Chris's sceptical gaze and gets to her feet.

"I have to go to Tylus…" she says. "I have to learn how to control the spirit!"


	9. Chapter 9

Sira didn't say a word for the entire walk back to Orbis. She kept making Chris hurry and didn't want to take breaks along the way. They arrive at the weapons shop a little more then 48 hours after they had left originally. Tylus smiles when he sees the two travelers arrive.

"How was the trip?" he asks, leading them to the empty cellar.

Sira goes through everything that happened when they reached the Holy Stone. She decides to leave out the encounter with the Skill Eaters; Chris does the same. She figures that one of the top warriors wouldn't want to discuss a near death experience. Sira explains how the stone shined a bright light, how she went through it and met her brother. Tylus's eyes grew wide and he leaned towards the small spear girl.

"Have you told many about what you saw at the stone?" he asks.

Chris looks at his leader with a questioning regard.

"Just …" Sira looks at Chris.

"I didn't know he could do that…" says Tylus rubbing his chin, pondering Sira's tale.

"You're telling me, she actually saw all that," Chris says, confused?

"Chris…" says Tylus. "She is telling the truth…"

Chris stands up.

"You're telling me that Fen is in that stone?" he says, raising his voice a little.

"The Skill Eaters… They took the stone's main power source…" explains Tylus.

"What?" asks Chris.

"The main power source of the stone was an amulet engraved into the stone," continues to explain Tylus. "The Skill Eaters found it out and removed it…We had to do something…most of our fighters were reaching the third level of training at that time. The elders developed a way to use the dragon's spirit to replace the power source. Fen volunteered…"

"That's…I…" mumbles Chris.

"We're trying to find a way to continue with the training and releasing Fen," says Tylus. "But that's not the reason you went to the stone…Tell me what the stone revealed."

"Fen said I have the spirit," says Sira. "He told me to come back to you and learn how to control it."

Tylus smiles.

"Very well," he Tylus. "I'll arrange training sessions for you."


	10. Chapter 10

Night had fallen and the exhausted cleric shivers as she finds a spot to rest. She pulls her cloak tighter around her neck and catches a glimpse of her hands. She looks at the blisters and red marks and winces. She had been training for the past two days with the help of some high level clerics and priests. She had never used Holy Arrow so often before; she had never trained this intensely in Victoria.

Valencia lays down and looks over the edge of her resting place. She is finally getting use to the disgusting sight of the monsters she has to fight. Her training partners had brought her to a place called the Forest of Dead Trees. It's a barren, cold wasteland filled with undead creatures. She had never seen people who had been turned in zombies before. She cringes and rolls onto her back to not see them anymore. Her guide had explained that a plague had come forth from the local mines and turned all the villagers into zombies. She had only seen monkeys and mushroom zombies in Victoria.

The cleric sits up when one of her cleric guides approaches with 2 men; one, a mage and the other, a thief. They join her in resting.

"Valencia," says her cleric guide, Kat. "This is Afreet and Cuzi, fire mage and assassin... They're friend's of mine."

"Nice to meet you ," says Valencia.

She looks at both fighters in awe and wonder what level they are. She assumes the mage must be over the 10th level because he has the Dimon Wand. She can't help starring at it. She feels intimidated by the presence of fire mage and assassin and remains silent.

"We were scouting the Skill Eaters castle," says Afreet.

Valencia looks up towards the north and sees a tall black castle standing menacingly amongst the mountain peeks. She had found out earlier that day, that it was the fortress of the creatures like the man that had attacked Victoria island. She feels a chill as her thoughts brush her memories of the man.

"They're up to something," says Cuzi. "Probably gonna attempt an attack on Zakum."

"Great..." says Kat. "They're going to piss him off some more and he'll dump more spawns on us."

"Are you going to be training here long?" asks Afreet. We need a cleric to go scout Zakum..."

"I'm here until we get Valencia strong enough for 3rd advancement training," says Kat.

"It's fine," says Afreet. "We'll go find Jacana."

"Doofus," says Cuzi. "Jacana left for Zakum yesterday."

"ah," says Afreet. "Let's go find her then...Cuzi will die if we don't have a cleric."

Afreet cackles and stands up.

"pssshhh," snorts Cuzi. "See ya Kat."

Valencia still hasn't gotten use to seeing such magnificent high levelled equips and high level fighters. She hopes she can reach a new level of skills fast and help Sira. She is worried about her friend and hopes to see her again soon. Both Kat and Valencia hop off the ledge and begin another long stretch of healing and holy arrows.


	11. Chapter 11

Sira can feel her heart pumping. She had taken many hits from Yuna, the Dragon Knight assigned to help her train. She had seen the sun set and rise three times since the training began. Sira feels tired, and her body is in pain but she continues to train.

"Come on Sira," yells Yuna. "Don't make me beat you!"

Sira sprints forward swinging her spear, trying to land a hit on Yuna. As she goes to make contact with her opponent's spear, Yuna deflects it and lands a blow on Sira's shoulder. The apprentice spear girl falls momentarily on one knee, then staggers back up.

"You're not using your spirit," says Yuna. "You're using your regular strength and that's not enough. Again!"

For the past three days, Sira had gone through physical training with Yuna and meditative control training with another dragon knight named Virgo. Between both Dragon Knight trainings, Sira begins to feel the spirit emerge when she fights, but she is frustrated with her lack of control. Virgo had explained that she had to be patient, because she was undergoing training, in a very short period of time, that usually takes years to undergo.

Yuna strikes Sira once again and sends the small spear girl falling onto her back. She groans softly in pain and forces herself back on her feet.

"You're not a big girl Sira," shouts Yuna. "It's gonna take more then your own strength to absorb my strikes. Call for it!"

Sira raises her red curve spear to meet Yuna's Omega spear but is once again knocked to the ground. She is still far from completing her training.


	12. Chapter 12

An old woman opens the door to the house she's staying at in Orbis to empty out an old bucket of water. She can hear a dog barking and turns to see a white puppy facing towards the eastern side of town.

"Moppy... hush," says the woman to the dog. "You'll wake the whole town."

The dog continues to bark, letting slip a growl from time to time. The woman approaches the dog and puts her hand on it to try and calm the small canine.

"Moppy," says the woman softly. "Stop your racket..."

The dog doesn't obey. She goes to pick it up, but hears a loud stomp on the ground. She looks off into the distance and lets out a terrified scream. In the light of the street lamp, an enormous brown furry beast covered in spiked armour beats its wings furiously.


	13. Chapter 13

The enormous beast doesn't have time to take a step forward, herds of fighters have already appeared. The old lady picks up Moppy and runs away from the beast and the gathered group of warriors, bowmen, mages and thieves. Its growls make the stone streets tremble and the people gathered shiver with a slight hint of fear. The beast charges the fighters and is met with a mixture of high level skills and attacks. A strange black lightning comes crashing to the ground around them taking them off guard. Many fighters are swung back by the massive creature's attacks. A bandit nicknamed Death Hawk commands the fighters forward. He grips his shiny orange Kandine dagger and swiftly lunges at the beast in a flashy attack called Assaulter. The beast, overwhelmed with the amount of attacks, backs away from the fighters and takes flight towards the lands of Ossyria. Hawk orders the fighters to retreat and to scout the area for more predators. The commander returns to report to the leaders at the weapons shop.

"It was like the beast reported from Victoria," explains Hawk to Tylus and 3 other cloaked figures sitting at the back. "Only this thing had wings and armour."

"Zakum must be very aggravated," says Tylus. "He's retaliating with a whole new class of spawns."

"But the armour?" asks Hawk.

"Could it be the doing of skill eaters?" asks the mage leader approaching Tylus.

"That would explain the Skill Eater going to Victoria," says Tylus.

"Recruiting..." says Hawk.

"They were testing us," says Tylus.

"Could it be," says the bowman leader. "That our growing forces are making them nervous?"

A warrior enters the weapon's shop swiftly and corners Hawk. They exchange a few words then turn to the leader's.

"Lash," says Tylus. "What news bring you."

Lash, the commander of the warrior troupes of Ossyria nods to his leader, Tylus.

"Bad news I'm afraid," says the Crusader. "The gardens surrounding Orbis...They've been overrun by a swarm of creatures."

"What kind of creatures?" asks Tylus.

"They've never been seen before," answers Lash. "Cat like creatures and plants."

A moment of silent passes between the group as everyone ponders the new threat.

"They have us surrounded," says Hawk, breaking the silence.


	14. Chapter 14

A few days had past before news of the giant beast in Orbis reached Sira and her two companions: Virgo and Yuna. Sira continues to press on with her training while the two other warrior women discuss the situation. Sira is intrigued by the winged beast, but her frustration and determination doesn't allow her to waver. She is exhausted, sweating and dirty, but her training is far from over. After trying to unleash her spirit wilfully for at least the hundredth time that day, Sira falls to her knees and then lays down on her stomach. She's breathing so heavy her chest hurts. She thinks Yuna will come and smack her behind the head to get up but is surprised to not even hear an objection. Instead of a slap or a kick or a shove she feels someone's hand on her head.

"Sira," she hears a soft calming voice say.

Sira opens her eyes and sees a familiar face.

"Val," she mumbles into the dirty snow.

Sira uses her hands to push herself up. She looks around and sees not only Val, but two magicians and a thief not far away.

"Val," she says again. "What's going on?"

Val helps Sira up and they make their way to the group.

"Jesus 'feets" says Yuna referring to the male mage. "You and Cuzi went to Zakum alone? It's no frickin' wonder you look like you've been run over by heard of yetis"

"Pssh," grunts Cuzi, the thief. "Iffn you think this is bad, you should see the state of our cleric!"

"She was taken to the infirmary," says the female mage that had been training Valencia.

"Kat," says Afreet, looking at the female mage. "Go on ahead and join your group. Cuzi and I will go with Virgo and Yuna."

"You won't have a cleric," she answers.

"We'll take your apprentice," says Cuzi, gesturing to Valencia.

"We're just going to scout before the troops arrive," says Afreet.

"You were just going to scout when you got your asses whooped..." says Kat."But ok, she's a very good healer. Just make sure she stays hyper bodied and don't rush into anything unnecessary."

"Sira," says Yuna. "Get your ass in gear and get ready to go. We have a mission."

Sira doesn't have time to ask questions. A few moments later Yuna, Virgo, Afreet, Cuzi, Valencia and herself head off deeper into the icy fields. Sira is at the back with Valencia. Afreet and Virgo discuss safe tactics at the front of the group, while Yuna and Cuzi discuss more suicidal plans in the center of the group. Sira looks over at Valencia for answers.

"While I was training at the Forest of Dead Trees, Afreet and Cuzi came back from a scouting mission at Zakum's," explains Valencia. "They said that an enormous army of skill eaters had gathered outside of Zakum's cave and were planning an attack on the beast. They had monsters that the two of them had never seen before. Monsters like our Balrog beast on Victoria that wiped the towns...Only worse. They also overheard plans that once they had defeated Zakum, they would wipe out the people in Orbis before they became a bigger threat."

Yuna turns around after hearing the explanation to add more.

"The 4 army leaders of Ossyria have been planning for a while now to build up our forces strong enough to take on the skill eaters," says Yuna. "We are able to live with the presence of Zakum and his spawns but the skill eaters are another story. We were waiting for the right moment to attack."

"Taking them all on at once like that is a good time?" asks Sira remembering the trouble a single Skill Eater caused.

"Don't underestimate us" says Cuzi. "Or you'll be making the same mistake as the skill eaters.

"We don't really have a choice," says Virgo. "They'll come after us after this battle. We need to take them on before they infuriate Zakum more and while we still hold the element of surprise."


	15. Chapter 15

The icy cold wind beats on their faces. The thief's shaky hands raise a potion bottle to his chapped lips. He passes the bottle to his traveling companion then gets back on his feet.

"We have to hurry," says Zenith, his words barely able to come out. "We'll freeze to death once the potions run out."

It had been a full day since they left their boat behind on the icy ridge of the Ossyria Island.


	16. Chapter 16

The six fighters hurry along the snowy path and up over icy cliffs. Yuna had explained that they would have to scout the Skill Eaters' activity and report back to the gathering troops that were setting up in a valley not far. It didn't involve engaging the enemy, but they had to be prepared in case they were discovered.

The group arrives on a plateau that has a large stone sign marked 'Forest of Dead Trees'. While the others continue to talk tactics beside the sign, Sira walks to the opposite side of the snow covered platform and stares at a large black castle in the distance. She feels a small tingling sensation go up and down her spine as she contemplates the eeriness of the sight. She can't help but find it frightening.

"It's where they live," says Valencia, coming up behind her friend.

"Uh?" says Sira.

"The Skill Eaters," explains the cleric. "It's their fortress."

Sira's heart skips a beat and her grip tightens on her weapon. She still has the red curve spear she had found on the battle field in Victoria.

"Val," she says very softly. "There's something I have to do…"

"I hope it doesn't involve going anywhere near that place," says Valencia nodding towards the castle.

Virgo calls out to them so they can continue their path to Zakum.

"Go," says Sira.

"I'm not leaving you," says Valencia.

"Please," says Sira.

"You can't go there Sira," says Valencia. "You'll be killed."

"If I am," answers Sira. "I don't want you involved."

"Damn it Sira," says Valencia , trying to keep her voice down.

Yuna lets out a loud shout for them to hurry up.

"Val… Please," says Sira. "I have to do this."

"I'm not leaving," says Valencia sternly.

Yuna is becoming impatient.

"They won't let us go…" says Valencia turning towards the group and nodding.

Yuna starts walking towards Valencia and Sira waving her warm while complaining. She doesn't have time to take more then 4 steps when Sira springs forward and lands on the ground half way between Valencia and Yuna's group. Sira swings her spear upward and uses all her strength to send the weapon piercing into the icy surface of the platform. She looks up at Yuna with pleading eyes, says the words "I'm sorry" and then concentrates all her strength and spirit into the spear sending a jolt of energy into the ground. Yuna is knocked back against the others as the ground cracks and explodes while Sira is knocked back in the opposite direction towards Valencia. The ground trembles and cracks creating a large impassable chasm in the ground. Sira and Valencia are now on an opposite ledge then the others. The apprentice speargirl looks over the edge and can't even see the bottom. She's surprised at the energy she had been able to sum up. There's no time to waste. Sira grabs her friend by the arm and they both start running away towards the castle. As they run, they can hear the shouts and growls of Yuna behind them.


	17. Chapter 17

It seems like they've been running for hours by the time the cleric and the spear girl stop to catch their breath. In reality, it had only been close to one hour. Sira leans against an old dead tree trunk and wipes the sweat from her forehead.

"Yuna is going to kick my ass if I see her again," says Sira, laughing a little.

"Sira…" says Valencia, not appreciating the humour. "What are we doing? I thought you wanted to get strong and learn all you could about the Dragon Knight's. You'll learn nothing if we're captured or killed by those creatures."

"You're right Val…" says Sira. "I'm not doing this only for me. I'm not doing this for knowledge."

"Revenge?" asks Valencia. "Sira it's not worth…"

The spear girl waves her hand and cuts in.

"Not revenge," says Sira, still breathing heavily from the extensive running.

Sira approaches her cleric friend and leans in as though she doesn't want anyone else to hear what she has to say.

"They have something," says Sira… "Something I need to retrieve…"

Valencia's eyes widen.

"We're not going to engage them in battle," says Sira. "We need to sneak into the castle."


	18. Chapter 18

Hawk, Lash and the two other commanders arrive at the camp in the Forest of Dead Trees. They receive reports from their subordinates and discuss the battle plan for the attack. Lash raises an eye brow as he hears bickering female voices approaching.

"I'm going to wring her neck," says Yuna.

"Yuna," says Virgo. "We'll have plenty of time to set her straight when she returns."

The two women arrive and nod to their commander.

"We've been to the Skill Eater's base in the Dead Mines," explains Virgo. "They'll be attacking tomorrow at dawn."

"They don't seem to be aware of our troops," continues Yuna. "'Feets and Cuzi will remain observing their camp in case there are any changes."

The two warrior's go to leave when Yuna sighs.

"Also," says Yuna. "We have a rogue spear girl and cleric somewhere in the vicinity."

Lash looks at Yuna oddly.

"They are new to the region," explains Virgo. "Can I request to have someone go look for them before dawn?"

Lash ponders the request for a few minutes.

"Send Evi & Bupo," say Lash looking at Hawk for agreement.

"Be sure they have returned before dawn" says Hawk.

"Thank you," says Virgo, before turning on her heels and walking away with Yuna.


	19. Chapter 19

Two tired and cold men enter through the rickety old gate of the abandoned snow town. Their eyes scan the area, but see no one. The bowman still holds in his hand the corpse of a penguin that had attacked them outside of town. They are too cold to think of anything but finding shelter and fire. There are no chimneys lit, nor any fresh foot prints in the snow. The bowman hadn't expected to find tracks because of the snow that had been falling all day. They enter the first building they see and head to a fire pit in the center of the room. The assassin digs through his travel pack with shaky hands until he finds a flint. He tries rubbing the stones together a few times but his hands have no more strength. He has to pause every few minutes to rub his hands for warmth. After a few tries he gets a spark, and after a few sparks he manages to light the straw and paper the bowman had thrown in the pit. They burn anything they can find that is paper or wood and eventually have a roaring fire. Both the assassin and the bowman have never been so happy to feel the warmth emitting from the flames on their faces. Had they not been so exhausted, they would have jumped and rejoiced.

Once their bodies have warmed, they both start rummaging the boxes and cupboards. The bowman takes a knife from one of the drawers and begins cleaning and gutting the penguin. They unload their packs, find warm blankets, and roast the bird the bowman had caught.

"Not exactly Canard à L'orange," says Jaimus poking at the roasting pepe.

"Right now," says Zenith. "I would roast you if I had to."


	20. Chapter 20

Tylus closes the door behind him and takes a seat at the table in the center of the room. The entire area is cluttered with books, maps and tactic sheets. The door slowly opens and a woman clad in a green cloak enters the room. Everything is silent except for the sound of her footsteps approaching the table where the leader of the ossyrian warriors sits. She takes a seat across from him and smiles.

"We're heading out shortly," says Robeira, the magician leader.

"Robeira," says Tylus. "Will there ever be peace?"

Robeira waits a few seconds before answering.

"Our chances of winning this battle are slim, but our fighters are prepared," says the magician.

"No," says Tylus. "I don't mean this battle."

"Ah…" says Robeira. "I see…"

"I know it's terrible that I'm thinking of this instead of the Skill Eaters," Says Tylus.

"You have never wavered as a leader, Tylus," says Robeira. "And your mind has always been clouded with such thoughts."

"I still have not heard a word from Sitting Bull", says Tylus.

"You've written to him for years now," says Robeira. "He rarely answers… Tylus…your propositions of peace aren't getting through to him."

"Things were going good until that damn Skill Eater went to Victoria," says Tylus. "I think he was seriously considering a treaty. Robeira… I just do not see why we cannot live in harmony and fight together using all our skills without restriction. Our fighters are good; they control their power. They are not a threat! I bet you anything that the leaders of Victoria think we had something to do with the Skill Eater. I can hear Sitting Bull going on about it! He's so frigging stubborn."

Robeira giggles a little.

"I can see that stubbornness runs in the family," says the mage winking at Tylus.


	21. Chapter 21

The cleric and spear girl walk closely together as the air becomes thick with fog. The sky is darkening with the coming of night. The darkness in addition to the fog makes their path creepy and possibly treacherous. The land is quite barren with the exception of random contorted, dying trees every once in a while. The travelers' can no longer see more then 8 to 9 feet in front of them. Valencia clutches Sira's arm and then leans in to whisper.

"What is that smell?" she whispers.

Sira says nothing but she recognizes the smell. She scans the area but doesn't see any traces of its source. The smell of rotting and decay stirs her stomach a little but she tries to ignore it. Sira knows that somewhere hidden by the fog lay the corpses of animals, creatures or maybe even humans.

"We must be close," says Sira softly. "Hopefully my intuition is right."

"Intuition?" asks Valencia.

"If the Skill Eaters are gathering to take on the Zakum," she explains. "Hopefully that means the castle is fairly empty."

"I sure hope so," answers Valencia.

They continue walking cautiously through the fog without crossing the path of anything living for close to an hour. A small hint of fear passes through Sira's body as the faint outline of an enormous building can scarcely be seen through darkness. She stops. Valencia also stops and follows Sira's gaze.

"What do we do?" asks the Cleric.

Sira gestures that they move forward slowly. The two women skulk, with their weapons ready, towards the building. As they approach the enormous stone wall, Sira is relieved to see that they didn't arrive at an entrance. Had they arrived near an entrance their chances of being seen would have been higher. The wall is made of a stone that is almost as dark as the night. Once they arrive next to it, both women place their hands on the stone. Sira looks upward. She can't see the top of the castle. The wall disappears into the foggy night. The spear girl leans against Valencia to whisper almost directly into her ear.

"Let's follow the wall until we find a way to get in," says Sira. "Can you scan upwards while I keep an eye on our surroundings?"

The cleric nods in approval and they begin walking along the wall. They walk slowly looking everywhere for either a possible entry or for something menacing. After a few minutes of skirting along the exterior of the castle, Sira and Valencia stop abruptly when they hear a faint cackle. Sira's muscles tense as she ponders the situation. She listens carefully and can hear the voice talking now. She is surprised that the voice doesn't sound like that of the Skill Eater she had encountered in Victoria. Instead of being a low hissing sound, it's a lot deeper, very hoarse voice. The spear girl creeps forward, watching her footing carefully. She and the cleric slide with their backs against the wall until they come do the side of an old stone stairway that stretches out away from the wall. Sira follows the base of the stairway and sees two short, but large creatures arguing at the very beginning of the steps. The creatures are roughly ten feet away from the hidden women.

Sira assumes they are not Skill Eaters because of their build and tone of voice. She listens carefully to their conversation and figures they are castle guards. After a few minutes one of the guards leave and Sira leans towards Valencia.

"We need to get passed the guard," she whispers.

Valencia nods as they begin to silently step forward. The guard has his back to the approaching women. Sira gestures for Valencia to stop and wait while she continues to move closer. Once she stands only a few feet behind the creature, she readies her spear. She points the tip of the red curve towards the back of the creature's neck. She goes to steady her footing but puts her foot on a rock and slips forward. The noise is just enough to get the creature's attention. The brute spins around but Sira reacts quicker. Just as the guard lays eyes on the woman, she pierces the surprisingly thick skin of the creature's throat. The guard grips the spear in panic; he cannot shout or scream. After using the little strength he has to try and save himself, he topples to the ground. Sira pulls on the weapon, removing the spear from its oozing organic envelope and quickly wipes it clean of blood. Valencia hurries forward and helps Sira drag the creature back towards the corner where the stairs meet the stone wall of fortress.

The cleric and spear girl run back to the foot of the steps and glance back towards the corner where the guard lay dead. The fog and darkness completely hides the creature's presence. They quickly climb the stairs keeping an eye in front and behind them. The stairs go up two stories and finally come to a landing. There's a pathway that wraps around the exterior of the fortress that leads off to the right and to the left. There is also the possibility of continuing to climb higher. Sira points to the left and Valencia follows her friend's lead.

They walk along the exterior pathway for a few minutes. Sira assumes this area is used to line troops to defend the castle from attackers below. As they keep moving, there is no sign of an entrance or window for a very long time. Finally, a glimmer of hope is seen as they approach a wooden door. The door is very big and looks sturdy. There is a lock on the door.

"Let's go in through here," says Sira.

"It's locked," says Valencia.

"Shall we knock?" says Sira, grinning.


	22. Chapter 22

Zenith and Jaimus gather up a few supplies before leaving the building in which they are taking shelter. They manage to find some small weapons, ninja stars and even some potions. Before leaving the house, Jaimus snatches up a cap that he spots by the door. He cackles softly and adjusts the hat. The black bowman hat is slanted to one side with a gold lining striped along its ridge. At the back of the cap there's a white cloth that ties like a bandana. Black Patriot hat, Jaimus had recognized it when they had entered the cabin the day before. It has always been his favourite bowman accessory. The assassin looks at the bowman. Jaimus snickers and tips his hat a little.

"I make this look good," says the bowman, smiling.

Zenith rolls his eyes and starts walking across town. He has no idea where to look for Sira and the emptiness of the town makes him uneasy. He doesn't know anything about the continent of Ossyria. He has no idea if they came to the right side of the Island. He doesn't want to admit that this is as far as his plan goes. He is surprised they even made it this far through the icy fields of the snow wasteland. The assassin is about to turn around and tell his companion he has no idea where to look when he hears something. He looks back at the bowman and can tell he hears it too. It's the sound of feet running on the snow; many feet running on the snow. They both hold to their weapons and stand ready.

Suddenly, around the corner of an old wooden building comes a small group of a dozen people armed and wearing battle gear. As soon as Zenith lays eyes on them, the group has also seen the two travellers. They are a group of warriors, observes Zenith. Zenith tenses as a female warrior approaches the two strangers. He assumes she is their leader.

"Name your business in this town," shouts the warrior with an authoritative tone.

The others of the group don't seem concerned with the strange bowman and assassin. Some observe their group leader interrogate the two men while others talk amongst themselves.

"We're looking for someone," says Zenith.

"Chris," shouts a female warrior from the pack. "Get a move on!"

"Have you seen anyone by the name of Sira?" asks Jaimus. "Or Valencia?"

There's a stirring in the group and a warrior girl emerges from the gathered people clenching her fist.

"Sira?" asks Chris, the leader, ignoring the approaching warrior woman.

"That damned Sira," shouts Yuna. "Who wants to know?"

"You've seen her?" asks Zenith stepping up to Yuna.

"What business do you have with her?" asks Chris, this time.

"We've come a very long way," says Jaimus. "We just want to make sure she is alright. We're friends of hers."

"Heh," snorts Chris. "From Victoria…"

"Well," says Yuna becoming furious. "The little wench hauled tail in the middle of a mission and took off to god knows where with her Cleric friend. She's gonna get a piece of me when she comes back."

"What?" asks Chris turning to Yuna. "What the hell? Where did she go?"

"I said… I don't know," answers Yuna.

"She caused a big commotion and then headed north from the entrance of the Forest of Dead Trees," says Virgo, approaching.

"Where can I find that place?" asks Zenith.

"First of all buddy," says Chris. "That area is not a place for someone from Victoria Island. Second we're in the middle of a very important and dangerous battle. You do not want to get caught in the crossfire."

"Tell me where it is," says Zenith.

"Please…" says Jaimus.

"I don't even know where she went in the first place," says Yuna. The only thing in that area is Zakum to the West and the Skill Eater's castle to the North."

Jaimus and Zenith flinch.

"The castle…" says Chris. "Heh…"

The male warrior still in disguise as a woman smiles a little under his helm.

"I know where she went…" says Chris.

"How would you know?" asks Yuna.

"You want to save Sira?" asks Chris, looking at the bowman and the assassin.

Zenith looks to the side and Jaimus nods in approval.

"Are you willing to accept the fact that you'll have to go to a place where your death is almost assured?" asks Chris.

"Don't worry about us…" says Zenith with a little grin.

The leader of the warrior group leans in towards Zenith.

"She went to the castle," says Chris. "I'll take you to the turn off."

"What?" Shouts Yuna. "You're our leader Chris. We don't have time. Evi and Bupo are gone to look for her."

"They don't know where to look," says Chris. "We just need to repot quickly and we'll drop them off on our way back to the camp."

There's a moment of silence as they consider their options.

"Plus…" says Chris walking towards the rest of the group, his back now to Yuna, Virgo, Jaimus and Zenith. "I owe Sira my life."


	23. Chapter 23

Sira looks at Valencia and nods. In life there are some facts that stand firm and unquestionable. One of those facts is that the door in front of them is very large, thick and sturdy. Normally, a rational human being would accept that fact and try to find another way into the castle. However, rationality is not one of Sira's strong points. She is the perfect embodiment of a stubborn brute warrior. The Spear Girl starts jabbing the lock on the door with her spear. After a few strikes that make a very loud clanking sound, Valencia puts her hand on the warrior's arm to stop her.

"It's too loud," she says.

Valencia stand back a little ways from the door, extends her arms and lets a holy arrow slip through her fingers. The arrow hits the lock but it only dents it slightly. Valencia looks at Sira and they both have the same thought.

"On the count of three," says Sira. "One…Two… Three!"

Sira and Valencia attack the lock simultaneously. The spear makes contact with the lock at same time as the holly arrow. Both girls smile as they watch the round lock piece fall to the ground.

They manage to push the door open with a great effort and enter a dark, damp room. There are empty shelves lining all 4 walls, with benches in a large rectangle in the middle of the floor. They walk through it while covering their nose at first. The smell of dampness and mould is strong. They make their way to the other side of the very large room and find a door. Sira easily opens the door and peeks through. Her eyes scan the interior of the fortress. She sees is an enormous circular area with a staircase going both up and down, looping in the center of the room as though it acts as the spine of the castle. The stairs seem to lead up many floors and at each landing a pathway wrapped around the rim of the foyer. The entire area is lit by lit lanterns creating a very dim light through the fortress. There are no ornaments or paints; no decorations or furniture. The walls and floor are a dark, cold stone. Sira sees no sign of life so she walks out into the hall. Valencia follows.

"Do you think it's empty?" asks Valencia. "It was hardly guarded…"

Sira shrugs and starts walking along the wall. She opens the first door; empty. She opens the second door; empty. She opens the third door; empty. She has a hard time believing the castle is home to an army.

"Let's go down to the base floor," says Sira.

The two women make their way down the winding staircase until they reach the bottom. They stand in the grand foyer of the castle. A large Chandelier hangs with dripping wax candles near a sitting area.

"Sira," whispers Valencia. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"What?" asks Sira.

"This is too easy…" she says.

"Come on," says Sira. "I have a bad feeling about this too..."

"What are we looking for?" asks Valencia, but Sira is already heading for a wide hallway at the back of the room.

Sira continues to open every door she finds, making her way down the hallway. Every room turns out the same: empty. Sira is becoming frustrated. The castle seems like it has been abandoned. She feels a lump in her throat getting bigger and bigger at every empty room. The spear girl stops to catch her breath and examines a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. She feels a tingling sensation of hope and heads towards it. She waits for Valencia to reach her side before she pulls on the handles and swings open the doors. Her eyes take a few seconds to adjust to the shining blue light that illuminates the room. When her eyes focus they immediately land on an object in the center of the room. There stands on top of a pedestal the source of the blue light: a stone. Instinctively Sira walks towards it.

"What is that?" asks Valencia following Sira.

Sira reaches out but before she has the chance to touch the stone she hears a yelp come from behind her. She spins around and sees Valencia on the ground. She goes to throw herself on her knees by her friend but receives a blow to the face first. She is knocked against the pedestal and falls to the ground. She is dizzy and her vision is blurry. A figure appears before her and she can faintly hear a cackle but all goes dark as she receives a second blow to the head.


	24. Chapter 24

Zenith and Jaimus thank Chris for his help as they part ways at the Forest of Dead Trees. The two travelers had heard all about the war in Ossyria from Chris, Yuna and Virgo as they had come through the icy fields of Ossyria to where they went their separate ways.

As they make their way through the barren lands, the towering dark fortress appears closer and closer. Jaimus begins to feel very uneasy about their destination.

"Dude," he says to Zenith, making him stop walking. "You realise we're going to a place filled with men just like the one in Vic right?"

"Yes," says Zenith.

"Are you sure we can help them?" asks Jaimus. "I mean… I don't think we can stand up to a force like that."

"Jaimus…" says Zenith. "I don't have Victoria's laws holding me back anymore…Have a little faith."

"What is that suppose to mean?" asks Jaimus.

He doesn't get an answer because they notice two approaching figures in the fog. Both the assassin and the bowman ready their weapons. Expecting the worst, they are relieved when two females walk up to them.

"Aww bups," says a spear girl. "It's not them."

"Darn it," says the other girl.

Both girls have very similar facial traits but are from two different fighting classes. One of the girls is a spear woman with dyed purple hair topped with a casual light purple plaid sideways cap. The other girl is a bandit with short, messy, orange hair dressed in a red china suit.

"Let's go Evi," says the bandit. "We only have a few hours before dawn."

"Wait," says Jaimus, before the girls walk away. "Have you seen a spear girl and a cleric named Sira and Valencia?"

The spear girl turns to Jaimus and gives him a questioning look.

"Sira and Valencia huh?" she says. "We're looking for them too."


	25. Chapter 25

The night is calm in Orbis as Tylus and Robeira are the only members of the army that remain. They have finished their work and are now about to leave for the battle at the path to Zakum. Tylus, accompanied by the Magician leader, is about to make his way down the tower when he hears footsteps not far behind him. Tylus turns around curious about the large number of footsteps he hears. His eyes become wide and he doesn't understand what he sees.

"What…?" goes to say Tylus, but a letter is waved in his face by one of the men in the crowd.

"Sir Tylus…Is that what I should call you?" says the familiar voice. "We've been receiving so many of these letters and because of YOUR problems I've had to deal with cleaning up a very big mess on our continent."

It has been a long time since Tylus has had this voice bickering at him.

"Furthermore," continues the familiar voice. "Your little escapee has almost entirely obliterated my armed forces."

The man gestures to the 20 something gathered armed men and women behind him.

"I'd also like to add that your remarks in your letters seem to indicate that WE are doing nothing to amend the mistakes of our past," says the voice. "We have been working hard implementing a new team system to bring together the different classes of our Island in an attempt to take a step forward as a society."

Tylus tries to speak but the man waves his hand.

"And if YOU think you're the only one who wants to end this age old rivalry and hatred," says the man. "You're seriously wrong. While you've been sending letter after letter, our leader has been working day and night with the Islands council trying to abolish the foolish laws from our past."

Four highly decorated men step forward from the crowd and Tylus's eyes land on a face he hasn't seen in years.

"What your dear old friend Manji is trying to say," says Sitting Bull. "Is that we too believe it is time to end our feud my brother."


	26. Chapter 26

When she regains consciousness, Sira can feel something cold and tight around her neck. She instinctively goes to grab hold of it with her hands but she realises her hands are bound at her back. She opens her eyes and waits for them to adjust to the dimly lit room. She's sitting on a damp hard surface in a dark stone room. She cusses under her breath as her memory comes back along with a splitting headache.

Her eyes move around the room and find Valencia not far away. The cleric has a metal collar around her neck tied to a chain that is fastened to the stone wall. Her hands are also tied behind her back.

"Sira," says the cleric softly.

"Val…" answers Sira, not knowing what else to say.

Sira tries to free herself by wiggling but only hurts her wrists in the process. The Spear Girl is surprised their even still alive. Had they encountered a Skill Eater, she wonders? Sira starts to panic a little. She had seen the stone, she had almost got it.

"I bet they knew we were here all along," says Valencia.

Sira thinks Valencia is right. Her heart begins to race a little at the prospect of what their captors are planning to do to them.

"We have to get out of here Sira," pleads Valencia. "What can we do?"

Sira can hear the panic in Valencia's voice and it saddens her. Her foolishness and stubbornness had gotten her friend into this situation. Sira moves her fingers around and feels the locks on her shackles. She moves her hands along her pockets in the upper part of her pants that she can reach but her pockets are empty.

"Sira," says Valencia. "What was that stone?"

Sira stops struggling with the shackles and looks over at Valencia. The cleric had followed her into this death trap without even knowing why. Sira suddenly feels ashamed of herself. Her own personal wants had driven her into this situation; what's worst she brought her friend along for the ride.

"It's a part of the Holy Stone," explains Sira. "It's the source of the power for the ascension to the 3rd job level. The people of Ossyria had been using the power to strengthen their army but it was stolen by the Skill Eaters. The stone's power is similar to that of the Dragon Knight's natural dragon's spirit. To compensate for the loss of the stone and to continue with the training to someday bring down the Skill Eaters, my brother sealed himself into the holy stone to act as its source of power."

"Your brother?" asks Valencia sounding shocked.

"Yes." Answers Sira. "If I can return that stone, then maybe they can …"

Sira goes to continue but the door to the room opens. A tall slender person clad all in black walks across the room gracefully then kneels by Sira. The spear girl recognizes this person for what he is; a Skill Eater. She can feel his cold breath breathing on her face. Her memories cause her heart to race. He looks similar to the Skill Eater she had met in Victoria. He cackles softly just inches away from Sira's face.

"Did you think we didn't see you coming from a mile away?" asks the Skill Eater with an all too familiar hissing tone to his voice.

Sira chooses not to answer.

"So the foolish humans decide to send inexperienced fighters into our castle to retrieve the stone hmmmmmm?" asks the Skill Eater.

Sira again remains silent. She closer her eyes so the creature can't see how frightened she really is.

"I would have loved to kill you right away," he says. "But my master wanted to keep you for information purposes."

The Skill Eater stands and walks towards the door. He pauses and says without turning around.

"You're going to wish I was able to kill you once my master returns…"

Once the door shuts, and the two women are alone, Sira breathes normally again. She has to shake the image of the Skill Eater out of her mind.

"Sira…" says Valencia, not knowing what else to say.

Sira's fear of the man back in Victoria comes rushing back and she begins to panic a little. She doesn't want to imagine being tortured by one of them. She tries to wiggle out of the shackles again but to not avail.

"We have to get out of these," says Sira. "Do you have anything to pick a lock?"

She sees Val wiggling and searching the ground around her.

"No…" says Val.

"I think I can pick the lock on my hands easy enough," says Sira. "I just need something thin and hard enough."

Sira wiggles a little more to try and feel the ground around her. Nothing. She goes to lose hope when she remembers something that happened before she had left to train with Virgo and Yuna. Virgo had given Sira a present to keep her safe. 'When you wear these they will protect you from magic based attacks,' Virgo had explained to her. Sira had loved the earrings from the moment she had seen them. Gold drop earrings…They are a flat gold earring with an emerald in the center. However, it is not the beautiful gold part that interests Sira at the moment. The spear girl is more interested in the thin metal loop that ties the earring to her ear. She shakes her head lightly and is relieved to feel the earring beat against her cheek.

The spear girl tries to think of a way to remove the earring. She struggles with her hands but she can't make them reach up behind her back. She tries getting close enough to Valencia for help but they are too far apart. Sira lowers her head and closes her eyes. A flood of thoughts rush through her mind. She thinks about Valencia and how she doesn't want anything to happen to her friend. She remembers her encounter with the Skill Eater in Victoria. She remembers the bloodshed and the mercilessness of the creature. A shiver runs down her spine; she is frightened. Her heart races rapidly; She can't let them torture Valencia for her own selfish mistakes. She has flashes of their thin cold fingers tearing at her skin. She had stood up to the creature in her final moments of despair in Victoria but she feels differently now. Back then she didn't care if she died anymore…she thought it was the end for her, the end for Victoria. She doesn't want to die this time; she doesn't want to give in to these soulless beasts. She hates them. She hates them for what they did to the people of Victoria. She hates their greed. She hates their disregard for human life.

Sira looks over at Valencia and she forces herself to smile at her friend. Valencia had come with her knowing that her life would be in danger… The Cleric had become someone very important to the Sira. Sira knows she has to do everything she can to get her friend to safety. She wonders what her brother would do in this situation. She knows, after seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make, that he would endure whatever was necessary. A new thought crosses Sira's mind. She stops breathing momentarily as she ponders the possibility. This could be the only way, she reasons, but wonders if she has the guts to do it.

Sira shakes her head back and forth to beat the earrings against her face. After trying a few times, she manages to catch the end of her left earring in her mouth. She knows she can't wiggle it out of her ear because the metal loop fastens at the back of her ear lobe; it doesn't just slip through her ear freely. She knows that the earring is made of a strong metal and won't break easily. She can think of only one other way of getting it off her ear in this situation.

"Sira," says Valencia looking over at her friend. "What are you doing?"

Sira closes her eyes and braces her teeth tightly onto the gold earring. Using images of the Skill Eaters, she sums up enough will power to jerks her head roughly to the right. She makes a grunting noise as she feels the metal tear at her ear lobe. The slender mental bar has begun to dig into the skin of her ear lobe. She tugs a little again but the earring is still in her lobe. Sweat runs down her face. She can feel blood trickle onto her neck and her heart pumping in her ear.

"Sira," says Valencia, shocked. "Stop it."

Sira blocks out her friend's plea and closes her eyes to give another tug. This time the pain makes her clench down on the earring even harder. She is biting down so hard she feels like either the earring or her teeth will crack. She can feel the earring pulling on the wounded lobe. She continues to clench the earring between her teeth and prays that she only needs to pull on it once more before it cuts through. The pain makes her tremble slightly but she knows that the Skill Eaters will cause her and Valencia much more pain then this. She is breathing heavy and loudly. Sira closer her eyes again, fastens the earring tightly in her mouth and jerks to the right again. This time she feels the earring cut through the skin of her ear lobe and come free.

Sira's breathing continues to be heavy as she feels her ear pumping with pressure. She knows that the left side of her neck is covered in a stream of blood.

"Sira," says Valencia, her voice trembling a little. "That was insane…"

Sira doesn't want to waste time. Either she doesn't want to waste time or she wants to keep her mind occupied to put aside the throbbing pain in her left ear.

She drops the earring on the ground beside her then wiggles to grab it with her tied hands. Once she has he earring in her hands she works to unfasten the clip on the metal loop. After fiddling with the earring a bit she has the loop unfastened and manages to bend the loop so it's a fairly strait metal bar. She hasn't picked a lock in a long time but she figures she can do it.


	27. Chapter 27

Minutes feel like hours in the cold dungeon cell of the Skill Eater's fortress. Sira and Valencia sit side by side, resting against each other, silently. The stone is cold beneath them but they have no motivation to stand. They are now free from their shackles and wait for the next guard or Skill Eater to open the door. Sira ignores the drops of cold water on her cheek as she lays her head to rest on Valencia's shoulder.

"Val," says Valencia, breaking the silence. "Why do you want to help me so badly?"

"You're my team mate Sira," answers Valencia leaning her head against Sira's.

Sira doesn't answer and a few minutes pass before Valencia continues her explanation.

"I sacrificed my family, my friends and my home to contribute to the new team system," she says. "I left behind a lot of things dear to me…"

She pauses for a few seconds.

"I didn't even get to speak to Tanner before leaving," says Valencia. "I loved him. He was my best friend."

Sira closes her eyes. She remembers Tanner who perished in the fight for Ellinia. She can hear the sadness in her friend's voice.

"I'll never get the chance to tell him that," says Valencia, her voice shaking slightly. "The time I lost for this team, for Victoria…It can't be in vain. If I have nothing else to return to, no one waiting for me… Then what else can I do? I have to believe in Victoria's choice. I have to believe in my fate and…I have to believe in my new team."

Sira doesn't know what to answer. She wants to comfort her friend but doesn't know how. The only thing she can think of doing is showing that she acknowledges Valencia's sacrifices. The spear girl puts her hand on the cleric's arm and gives her a small reassuring squeeze.

"Do you really believe in the team system choice?" asks Sira.

"Sira," says Valencia. "Whether this is what they had in mind of not, look at us now."

"We're quite pitiful right now Val," says Sira smiling a little.

Valencia smiles too.

"You need me," says Valencia. "And I need you. We're too completely different colors that compliment each other beautifully. Spearmen and clerics…who would have thought it would be the perfect fit."

"I definitely need your healing skills," says Sira.

"I wouldn't be able to live without your strength and defences," says Valencia.

"Jaimus and Zenith," Continues the cleric.

Sira feels a lump in her throat at the sound of their names. When she thinks about them she realises how empty it feels without them here. She misses them both. She thinks about Zenith and has to close her eyes again. Sira has a flash of one of her last memories of the assassin: her hands driving a knife into his chest. She wants to be able to tell him that she is sorry. She wants to be able to tell him that she doesn't blame him for her father's death. She bites her lip a little and says softly 'please be alive'.

"Sira?" says Valencia removing her head from against Sira's to look at her friend.

"Jaimus and Zenith go very well with our team too," says Sira, looking up at her friend. "Jaimus might be a huge goof but he has tracking skills that we don't. He's a great sharpshooter."

Sira pauses a little before continuing.

"And Zenith," she says. "His speed, sharp eye and strength work great with the rest of our skills."

"You see," says Valencia. "I believe in the choice of the team system."

"So do I…" answers Sira.

Valencia looks over at Sira with a worried look on her face.

"Let me heal your ear," says the cleric.

"Don't waste your energy," says Sira. "We'll need it. It doesn't hurt too much anymore."

Sira forces herself to smile reassuringly. Her ear still hurts a lot and her headache is still throbbing. The spear girl goes to speak again but stops herself as she feels the ground tremble beneath her. She looks over to her friend and can tell that Valencia felt it as well. A few seconds later, she can feel another rumble. They both get to their feet and race towards the door. Sira puts her ear to the door and listens. She can't hear anything but the ground continues to shake every now and then.

"Let's be ready," says Sira.

Valencia prepares her magic and steadies her arms ready to fire holy arrows. Sira no longer has her spear but she prepares to attack with her bare hands. A few minutes pass and the rumbling becomes stronger. Sira hears the lock rattling and backs away to the side of the door. Valencia points a holy arrow towards the door. They hear the lock turn and the door is pushed open. Sira slips in front of the opening and blindly grabs the person by the collar and shoves her way out into the hallway. Valencia goes to fire her holy arrows but realizes that Sira is hesitating and hasn't delivered any blows to the person. Sira hears Valencia gasp around the same time the familiar face registers in her memory. Her grip is still strong around the person's collar but the spear girl stares wide eyed and stunned.

"Jaimus?" Sira hears Valencia say behind her.

"Well, well ladies," says the bowman. "Looks like you didn't need saving after all..."

The bowman puts his hands on Sira's gripped hands and removes them from his collar. She still can't believe what she is seeing. She doesn't understand how he can be in Ossyria; how he can be at the fortress.

"How…" she manages to say.

"You'd think after coming all this way to check in on you ladies I'd get a more warm welcome," chuckles Jaimus.

"How did you find us?" says Valencia rushing next to Sira and Jaimus.

"We met a few people along the way that pointed us in the right direction," explains Jaimus. "Come now, we have to get a move on. This isn't a safe place to be."

Sira looks down the hall and sees guards lying dead on the ground. She can hear Jaimus and Valencia talking in the background. Jaimus takes Sira's hand and pulls her down the hallway along side Valencia.

"We met a Dragon Knight and a Chief Bandit along the way that helped us break in and take down the Skill Eaters," explains Jaimus. "A Dragon Knight… Can you believe it Sira? Of course I imagine you must have met your fair share while here. It's unreal the skills I got to see… I can't believe the power of 3rd job advancement training."

"We?" she goes to say…but becomes lost in thought. It couldn't be, she thinks.

Sira lets herself be guided along the hallway by the bowman. She can still hear the rumbling of battle in the distance from time to time. They climb up a few flights of stairs until arriving on a landing. Sira recognizes the area as the first floor. This is the hallway that leads to the grand foyer with the spiralling staircases where they came in. As they pass by the double doors of the room with the stone Sira stops Jaimus. She pulls her hand from his grip.

"Wait," she says, pushing the doors open.

She runs towards the pedestal and wraps her hands around the glowing stone. She feels a small shocking sensation run down her spine as she removes it from its binds. Sira hears footsteps behind her and spins around quickly. Expecting to see Jaimus, Valencia or a Skill Eater, she feels her hands start to tremble slightly at the sight of the person standing in the doorway.

"We have to go," Says a voice she had wanted to hear for a long time.

"Zen…" she says stepping forward.

The assassin watches the Spear Girl approach with his usual blank expression. All the things Sira had wanted to say to him rush through her mind like flooding waters but refuse to make their way to her mouth. She walks up to him with a whirlwind of emotion. She is still under the initial shock of seeing Jaimus and now Zenith stands before her alive and well. She bites her lip and raises one of her hands. She instinctively places it on his chest where she had wounded him. She wants to tell him she's sorry but she can't find the will to utter the words. She looks to the ground then closes her eyes hard. She feels a hand on hers and looks up a little. She sees Zenith's hand grip hers and squeeze it lightly.

"Let's go," she hears him say.

Sira looks up and nods. She slips the stone in her pocket as they exit the room. They join Jaimus, Valencia, as well as Evi and Bupo who had helped the bowman and assassin gain access to the castle.

"We're gonna get into a shit load of trouble over this," says Bupo. "Attack the Skill Eater's fortress…"

"We'll be in more trouble if we don't make it back in time for the battle at dawn," says Evi.

"Let's go," says Jaimus.

"So Zenith," says Jaimus, as they rush out of the castle. "Gonna tell me how know know skills like that."

"What?" asks Sira.

"They're called 3rd job skills," says Bupo. "Hermit skills…"

Sira looks over puzzled at Jaimus.

"You think that Evi and Bupo did all of that alone?" asks Jaimus. "We came in blasting, broke down their door and took down every Skill Eater that attacked us. Well I mostly took care of the guards and went looking for you but…"

Zenith sighs, cutting Jaimus's babble.

"We don't have time to chat," says Zenith. "We have to go to where that army is right?"

"Wait," says Sira.

"What now?" asks Jaimus.

"Evi, Bupo," she says. "Thank you for your help but I have to go to the Holy Stone before I do anything else. It'll be quick hopefully then I can go join the battle. Please pass the news to Yuna if you see her"

"Alright," says Bupo. "But please hurry… We will need all the help we can get."

At the Forest of Dead Trees the group separates. The two fighters from Ossyria head towards Zakum and the Victoria team head towards the Holy Stone.


	28. Chapter 28

It is completely dark except a soft light shining off the stones that spike up from the ground. Sira anxiously makes her way through the field of stones while the others gaze around the Holy Grounds for the first time. When they reach the enormous black stone known as the Holy Stone Sira briefly explains to Jaimus and Zenith about the source of the immense power giving when reaching the 3rd job level. She then explains very briefly about her brother.

"What are you suppose to do," asks Jaimus?

"I'm not sure," she says. "There has to be a way."

Sira wonders if her brother can hear her; if he can help her. She puts her hands onto the cold stone as she had done before. She doesn't know what to do or think. She thinks about him, Fen. She thinks about the times they spent growing up together in Perion. She remembers how she would help him train when he first entered the warrior training program. Without realising it, she is smiling to herself with her head resting against the stone. She can hear Valencia talking but it sounds very distant suddenly. Sira is relieved when she feels stone envelop her and pull her forward.

When she opens her eyes she isn't surrounded by her team anymore. There is only one other person there with her; her brother.

"You could hear me," she says.

"Of course," answers Fen.

She looks at her brother and notices he looks a lot more thin and pale then the last time she had seen him in the stone.

"You," says Sira. "You don't look well…"

"You're not at the battle," says Fen.

"I," she says. "Fen! I have it…The stone. You have to tell me how to let you out."

"How did you get it," says Fen looking surprised.

"I went and got it back from the Skill Eaters," says Sira proudly.

Fen laughs a little and puts on arm around Sira's shoulder.

"That sounds like something our thick headed father would have done," says Fen. "I'm proud of you Sira. Now the stone will have its original power source."

"Now you can be let out," says Sira. "Tell me how to do it!"

Fen doesn't answer right away.

"Okay," says Fen smiling. "But you have to do something for me in return."

"Anything," says Sira.

"You have to go and help the army at Zakum," says Fen.

"I'm going to," says Sira. "But I can hardly stand up to the Skill Eaters let alone Zakum."

"Don't worry about it," says Fen. "I can help you."

"You'll be able to fight?" asks Sira, not comprehending exactly what Fen is trying to say.

"Listen carefully to me Sira," says Fen.

Fen cups Sira's face in his hands and looks her in the eyes.

"I'm going to send you out of the stone," explains Fen. "Put your stone at the back of the Holy Stone. You'll see an empty slot for it there. After you've done that, look for to round circles lightly engraved into the stone at the front. I want you to place your hands on them."

"Okay," says Sira.

"Sira," says Fen. "If the people of Ossyria loose this battle there are two possible outcomes. Both of them will mean misery for the people of this continent and others… including Victoria. Either the Skill Eaters will rule the land or Zakum will be infuriated and his spawns will devour everything. We have to win this battle."

"I understand," says Sira.

"And Sira," says Fen. "Whatever happens…don't let go of the Holy Stone."

Sira feels herself being pulled back from the stone. The distant voices of Valencia and Jaimus become clearer. After a brief period of feeling dizzy Sira realises she's no longer inside the stone. She stands and goes to the back of the the large black obelisk. She sees the slot that Fen had told her about and places her stone into it. Her gaze is distracted momentarily by a beautiful red spear mounted at the back of the Holy Stone. The dark handle lined with gold opens up to a flat sharp red and back blade. She has never seen a spear of such magnificence. She wonders if it belongs to her brother. She forces her gaze away from the spear and heads to the front. Jaimus, Valencia and Zenith are watching her.

"Is it going to work?" asks Zenith.

"It should," says Sira. "Then I have to hurry to the battle and help. I won't ask you to come."

"Like we wouldn't," answers Jaimus.

"Jaimus, Valencia," says Zenith. "Head off to the battle grounds. I'll stay."

"Huh," says Valencia.

"Go on ahead," he says. "I'll be able to catch up with Sira quickly. I won't be able to get all 4 of us there in time."

"Gotcha," says Jaimus. "We'll meet at the battle grounds then."

Jaimus and Valencia hurry up and out of the Holy Grounds towards the Forest of Dead Trees. Sira looks over the surface of the stone and finally finds the two engraved circles fen had told her about. She places her hands over them and waits. She feels a strange feeling on her palms and is surprised to hear her brother's voice. It's a strange echoing sound that she assumes only she can hear.

"Sira," says Fen. "You're going to be angry with me... I'm so sorry I have to do this… I'm sorry for the burden I release onto you."

The Spear Girl is confused. She doesn't understand what her brother is talking about. Sira goes to remove her hands but realises they are stuck. The strange feeling on her palms turns cold and she almost screams when she feels the flesh on her hands being pierced by something.

"This device was created as a last resort," explains Fen's voice. "I have no choice but to use it."

She feels someone's hand on her back and realises its Zenith who doesn't know why Sira is in such pain. However, she can't concentrate on Zenith, the pain is too overwhelming. She feels something dig beneath her skin. She bites down hard trying to endure it. Sira doesn't know what is going on. She doesn't know what her brother is doing to her. She lets out a cry when she feels a pressure beneath her skin. She feels as though something inside her hands and arms is gaining volume and will start pouring out from her pores.

"Sira," says her brother. "I'm giving you what remains of my energy; of my dragon's spirit; my blood. You have to fight Sira. I don't have the strength anymore. My body is done."

Sira can feel her heart pumping so loudly she thinks it will tear open her chest. She can barely hear her brother's words but understands enough to shout out 'No' to him. She is crying now because she knows that her brother is going to sacrifice himself. As the remainder of the blood streams into her body, she sees flashes of memories that don't belong to her. They start with erratic flashes of her brother; then she sees things from her father's past. Eventually the streaming erratic visions are of people she has never seen or known. As they pain becomes more intense, and the beating of her heart louder, the visions become more dominant in her mind. She thinks she hears her brother saying "I'm sorry" and "I love you", but all she can concentrate on are the visions. They are filled with pain, despair, hatred and bloodshed. She can taste blood in her mouth and something warm is running down her cheeks. She knows she is crying but it feels more like blood streaming then tears. After a few minutes the visions in her mind set on a large scaly black creature; a dragon. The enormous beast is lying on its side breathing heavily. Her head begins to ache enormously and her dark erratic visions are replaced by a very bright white light.

As the white light engulfs her mind, the pain is at its maximum. She is breathing more heavily, her face is dripping with sweat and blood, and her members are trembling. The visions are gone and all sounds, including the beating of her heart is replaced by Fen's voice.

"Sira," says her brother. "Don't be afraid of the hatred inside your heart. Don't be afraid of the pain, of the sadness and the despair. This goes beyond controlling the wrath of the dragon. This is about using that wrath to achieve a power never before seen. Use my blood, my spirit Sira. Fight like the dragon's Dark Knight!"

Sira opens her eyes and coughs as though her lungs are filled with water. She is lying against Zenith on the cold snowy ground. Her heart is still beating loudly, but the pain is gone.

"Sira!" says Zenith. "Are you ok?"

"I…" says Sira. "I don't know."

She tries to stand. Her legs are a little wobbly at first but with Zenith's help she gets onto her feet. She walks over to the Stone. Her memories are a little blurry and confused but she knows what happened. She puts her face against the stone and starts hitting it angrily.

"Damn it Fen," She growls.

Her mind visits the memories of what just happened. When she can see the event from two perspectives she knows what her brother did. She had inherited everything from her brother including his memories. She can feel tears running down her cheek as she goes through the memory of her brother's final moments. She can feel the pain that struck his heart just before he took his last breath. She is sobbing loudly now, but stops herself. She wipes her face with her sleeve and is more or less surprised to see that her sleeve is covered in blood. When she had been receiving her brother's spirit her tears had been replaced with blood. She kneels down and uses the snow to wash off her face.

Sira is infuriated with her brother for sacrificing his life. She feels abandoned momentarily but realises that she is being selfish. He had done this to save her, to save the people he cared for. He had done this to protect his home land and Ossyria. She hasn't completely grasped the things he had told her but she knows she must use his strength to fight. She can feel something stir inside her, she feels fuelled, almost like her energy is seeping up through her skin wanting to explode. "Use the wrath of the dragon", fen had told her.

"Zenith," says Sira. "Are you serious about coming with me?"

"That's a stupid question Sira," says Zenith.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," she says.

"What Jaimus said," says Zenith. "About Hermit Skills…I might not have the enhanced power that the stone provides, but I have the skills. Dark Lord had trained me as a special assassin. My sister and I both received the training. It was illegal but was done in case we had to face Dragon Knight's in the future. It was kept secret on Victoria because it would ruin the treaty between kerning and the other counties. I was forbidden to show any skill beyond the 2nd job level. I'll be ok."

Sira nods.

"I…" says Sira. "What you saw happen…I don't really understand but my brother… he gave me every last bit of his energy and spirit. I think…I think I can help this fight."

Sira goes to the back of the Hole Stone and puts her hand around the spear. She feels something that she has never felt before. All the knowledge her brother had possessed, all his strength was added to hers. She would never have been able to hold a spear of such grandeur before. She swings it a couple of times and is amazed at her strength and agility.

"Zenith," says Sira. "Do you know why spearmen use spears or pole arms specifically?"

"No…" says Zenith.

"In the weapons used at the level of a Dragon Knight," explains Sira. "There are pieces made from the bones of dragons. This spear, the Pinaka, is more then that. It was my brother, passed down through the generations by the highest ranking Dragon Knights. I …know this because my brother knew this. I can't exactly tell why but I think it's made from the very dragon that started the Dragon Knight bloodline."


	29. Chapter 29

The dark night sky begins to break with various colors of orange and red on the horizon. Hawk and Lash followed by Serin, the commander of the archer brigade and JkPyron the leader of the mage forces advance to the front of the gathered Ossyrian army. As they go over last minute details with their subordinates, a speargirl and chief bandit approach them.

"Evi, Bupo," says Lash. "Glad you made it back in time."

Lash goes to continue speaking but Yuna appears and demands answers.

"Did you find her?" asks Yuna twitching slightly.

"Yes," answers Evi.

"That little..." starts to say Yuna. "ahem... I mean ... Is she alright?"

"Her and the cleric were in the dungeon of the Skill Eaters fortress," explains Evi.

Yuna bites down on her lip to keep from exploding with anger.

"With the help of a Hermit and Bowman from Victoria, we rescued them," explains Bupo.

"Hermit... from Victoria," asks Serin? "That's odd..."

Bupo shrugs.

"He didn't explain anything," says Bupo. "He was strong and very skilled for someone who has never received the Holy Stone's power."

"Where is she now?" says Yuna, almost shouting.

"She went to take care of something before coming here," says Evi.

"She better get her sorry ass here in time," says Yuna.

Lash waves his hand.

"Ladies," he says. "There's no time to discuss this. Join your parties and prepare for battle."

"Who do we join?" asks Bupo refering to her and Evi.

"Pucca is missing some members," says Lash. "Join her group."

"Pucca?" says Yuna, as she walks away cackling. "See you in the afterlife ladies."

"Sir..." says Evi.

"What's wrong with Pucca?" asks Lash.

"Well..." says Bupo. "It's just that ... she has a bad record."

"Record of?" asks Lash.

"Umm...injuries and ... deaths," says Bupo.

"She's dangerous," says Bupo. "We love her but..."

"Is this about the Saphy incident again?" asks Lash, rolling his eyes. "May she rest in peace but Saphy was a little crazy herself. She jumped that Lycan on her own."

"Saphy was eaten by a Lycan?" asks Serin.

"Yes... last month," explains JkPyron. "I had a cleric assigned to that group... she came back with broken bones."

"She was partying with Pucca and Pyron's cleric," explains Evi.

"Saphy was crazy to start with," says Hawk. "She was always trying to rig devices to blow up enemy countries. She was a great fighter but..."

"Don't diss Saphy," says Evi. "She might have been crazy but she was very wise."

"Look," says Lash. "It wasn't Pucca's fault."

"She's cursed," says Bupo.

Hawk looks at Bupo menacingly and the bandit pulls Evi towards Pucca's group.

"Ok, ok," says Bupo. "I'm sorry sir."

Lash motions to the other commanders to gather once again to resume the last minute battle revision. However, he doesn't have time to speak before Tylus, Robeira and the other Ossyrian leaders arrive. Lash, Hawk, JkPyron and Serin salutes their leaders but remain stunned at the gathering mass of people he doesn't recognize. More so, they are surprised to see the four people who stand with the leaders at the front.

"Lash, JkPyron, Hawk and Serin," says Tylus. "We have reinforcements from the continent of Victoria."

Neither of them know what to say and exchange confused looks. Everyone in Ossyria is either a refugee from Victoria or have been raised in Ossyria and taught about the conflict between Ossyria and Victoria concerning 3rd job advancement.

"The commanders of the troops you will have access to are Athena Pierce of Henesys, Manji of perion, Nightroad of Kerning and of Ellinia," explains Tylus. "I'll be working at the command post with the other leaders of Ossyria in conjunction with the leaders of Victoria."

"Sir?" asks Hawk confused.

"I'll explain everything after the battle," says Tylus. "Good luck and Godspeed."

With the remaining darkness being engulfed by the bright dawn's light, the new arrivals are briefed and the army of over a thousand warriors, thieves, archers and mages advance on the encampment of the Skill eaters in the lava filled caves on the path to Zakum.


	30. Chapter 30

Sira clings tightly to Zenith's shoulders as they rapidly make their way through the snow covered ridges. The sun had risen a few minutes before they left the holy grounds. The speargirl assumes that the battle has already begun. Zenith tells her to hold on tight and she feels a jolt pull her back as they are propelled forward.

"What was that?" she asks.

"Flash Jump," says Zenith. "It'll get us there faster."

It takes a few minutes before Sira is use to the brusque jumping motion, but she's nevertheless impressed with the speed of their movement. Instead of running rapidly, they are leaping forward a great distance at a time. She wonders if this is one of the 3rd job skills Zenith had learned in secret. Sira is distracted momentarily by the impressive skill speed but is too nervous about the battle with the Skill Eaters to pay much attention to it. She goes through the events of the day in her mind. She is tired and hungry but doesn't have time to feel the repercussions of her body's demand for rest. All these elements stir her stomach slightly, but even with the pain that clouds her body and her mind, she feels better knowing that Zenith is with her and knowing that Valencia and Jaimus are not far off. She slips her hands around Zenith for both extra support and comfort and lays her chin on his shoulder.

"Zenith," she says.

The assassin looks at her swiftly to acknowledge that he heard her.

"Thank you," she says and then pauses a few seconds before continuing. "Thank you for coming to find me."

Zenith doesn't answer right away, but after a short silence he stops doing flash jump and stands without turning to face her.

"It was the least I could do," he says. "After what I put your family through."

"It wasn't your fault," says Sira, still on his back, holding on. "It was ordered by your superiors."

"Still..." says Zenith. "I'm sorry..."

"We both have things to be sorry for," says Sira tightening her hold on Zenith, giving him what seems like a hug. "I won't let that happen to me again."

Zenith looks back at her.

"I've been trying to control the dragon's spirit so it won't consume me again," explains Sira. " ... I know now... I think I have the strength ..."

Zenith starts walking towards the dead mines again, but this time more slowly.

"We're not far," says Sira. "This is the forest of dead trees. Follow this path until the mine entrance."

As they enter through the rickety archway to the mines, the sounds of battle fill the air. In the distance they can hear explosions, and can feel the ground tremble from time to time. When they can see the battle from a distance, they encounter Valencia and Jaimus. Sira slips off of Zenith's back and joins her team-mates.

"The army advanced about 20 minutes ago," says Jaimus. "The scout for the Ossyrian army, EagleStrike, is stationed not far. He informed us that the battle is going roughly for the Ossyrians but that the strongest fighters are holding there own at the center of the battle against the Skill Eaters. The surrounding wave of enemies consists of ghoulish creatures in armour like the ones at the fortress."

"We didn't want to get too close before you arrived," says Valencia.

"Ok," says Sira. "We should go."

They start moving towards the battle grounds but Sira stops.

"Please be careful everyone," she says. "We're close to the lava fields."

Just as Sira had said, the lava fields come into view as they approach the battle. All four can feel the heat rising up from the ground. They start a jog and quickly arrive near the scattered fighting troops. They unbind their weapons and advance carefully.

They exchange nervous looks before charging into the massive battle area. Valencia casts her healing spells as Jaimus and Zenith begin to fire attacks. Sira swings her brother's spear for the first time as one of the lesser creatures' lashes at her. She manoeuvres it easily, bringing it upward and slicing the creature's arm. She is surprised at her own strength. She thinks of her brother's strength flowing through her and pierces the creature's stomach. She doesn't have time to relish in her victory. More of the creatures attack Sira and her party.

They make their way around the perimeter of the battle field defeating the foes as they pass. The other fighters take care of the lesser enemies easily as well. Sira knows that the harder battle is at the center with the Skill Eaters. They attempt to make their way closer but an explosion nearby knocks them back and creates a fissure in the ground that sprays a large amount of lava upward. Sira has barely enough time to react, but manages to lift her arms and cast her Iron Will skill. The lava splatters onto her shield and onto the ones that appear around her team-mates. She hears screams of pain from some of the other fighters around them that had not been able to protect themselves. She holds tightly onto her skill as the remainder of the lava gushes from the ground. A few drops burns through the iron will shield and scold the skin on her arm. She bites her lip and closes her eyes firmly to endure the pain. Luckily the lava stops overflowing and shooting out from the ground and Sira is able to lower the shields. Valencia immediately heals Sira's wound.

"I'm impressed little lady," says Jaimus referring to Valencia's improved healing skills.

"Be impressed later," shouts Valencia pulling Jaimus out of the way of a volley of arrows coming from the enemy.

They quickly regain their fighting stances and run around the lava crack. The party continues to charge and fight their way deeper into the lava fields, deeper into the battle. A large creature lunges at Valencia but Jaimus blocks the attack by striking its arm with his bow. The creature retaliates by tackling the bowman to the ground. Sira, Zenith and Valencia turn towards the struggling bowman and start firing attacks at the creature. During their attempts to slay Jaimus's attacker, another creature strikes Zenith in the arm. The assassin turns his attention to his new foe and fires throwing knives at it. Valencia and Sira manage to slay the creature on Jaimus and the bowman staggers to his feet. Jaimus notices a new attacker and shouts to Valencia and Sira to watch out before shakily firing an arrow behind the girls in his party. Angered, the creature that had appeared behind Valencia and Sira knocks the spear girl to the ground. Valencia and Jaimus fire regular and holy arrows towards the creature. With everyone passing minute the team members are knocked around by more and more creatures. Zenith finishes off one of them and makes a frustrating sound at the sight of the gathered creatures ganging up on them. He stops for a moment to gather his magic energy as quickly as possible. A few seconds later he concentrates on a skill and an oversized, glowing throwing star forms in his hand. He shouts for his team-mates to duck and throws the star forward… avenger. The enormous throwing star cuts through the crowd of creatures like a knife through butter. Sira is amazed at the skill, but notices another group of guards behind Zenith and leaps forward. Zenith understands her movements and spins around to counter the attacks of the oncoming horde of creatures.

As the group of four make their way towards the front of the battle, towards the Skill Eaters, manoeuvring through the grounds becomes increasingly difficult. While dodging the attacks from the enemy, they also have to watch their footing because the ground is littered with the bodies of slain creatures and fighters. Valencia tries to stop and aid the injured along the way but is often too busy protecting herself and her team-mates.

The ground shakes and the four escape a lightning attack by falling to the ground. Sira feels her hands land on something warm and wet and immediately jumps back onto her feet. She clenches her fist at the sight of so many casualties. She looks at where she had fallen and kneels down beside the slaughtered body. Her eyes scan the face of the fighter and she feels a lump in her throat. She doesn't know this man but she feels a growing pain in her heart and tears begin to flow. She doesn't know why she is crying. She knows that this battle is borderline suicidal, she knows that a lot of lives have been lost and will continue to be lost as the morning goes on. She stops crying and wonders about her brother. Had he known this man? Is that why she feels saddened at the sight of his corpse? She is suddenly oblivious to the dangers around her, as her gaze surveys the area for the deceased instead of the enemies. This is her brother's sadness, and her own.

Zenith grabs onto Sira's arm and pulls her forward. She wakes from her daydreaming and realises they are running from a very large group of creatures. As they run farther into the lava fields, Sira is filled with mixed emotions of sadness and anger. Zenith stops and distracted, Sira bumps into him. She looks up and realises they have reached the area where the fighters of Ossyria are battling the Skill Eaters. A large explosion close by sends a blast of scorching wind their way. Sira drives her spear into the ground and steadies herself on one knee against the wind. She can feel the heat of the explosion burn her skin before she has the time to turn her face away. Jaimus, Zenith and Valencia steady themselves on rocks and take cover as much as they can as well. Sira looks over at them and is relieved they are ok. The numerous explosions and the mixture of skills from all classes light the dark caverns. A few meters away, Sira can see the approaching pack of ravenous creatures; she looks behind and sees the Skill Eaters. Her breathing becomes heavy as her fear elevates. They are trapped, surrounded. She repeatedly tells herself to calm down but it has no effect. She notices from the corner of her eye that her team-mates are already up and firing all attacks towards the oncoming attackers. Sira closes her eyes and tells herself to get up and fight. When she opens her eyes again they are almost directly in front of her and her party. As one of the creatures brings a sword down towards her she instinctively shouts "No". As the word escapes her mouth, Sira feels a surge of energy release from her body followed by a loud, ground shaking roar. In a blast of pink light, the large group of enemies is disintegrated…dragon roar.

Sira is trembling slightly from the immense power she just emitted. She is amazed that she performed the dragon roar skill. She had never been able t muster enough energy during training to even come close. She goes to turn to her team-mates but is smacked behind the head.

"There you are!" shouts a familiar voice.

"Yuna," says Sira, turning around to see her teacher.

"I oughta…" growls Yuna. "Listen up. Take your party and make your way around the crowd to the very end of this cave. We're fighting the Skill Eaters at the center over there but those damn little creatures are a nuisance. They keep coming up from behind us. Could you be a dear and clear them for us?"

"Ok," answers Sira.

Yuna turns and heads towards her party but Sira stops her.

"Yuna," she says. "I'm sorry for…"

"Tch!" Interrupts Yuna. "Just keep yourself alive so I can scold you later."

Under Yuna's orders the group runs along the battle field towards the end of the cave. They slay a rogue creature now and then but manage to escape most of the battle. They reach an enormous mob of creatures attacking the center group of Ossyrians at the back as Yuna had said. There isn't much room for them to fight because they are at the end of the cave. Behind them stands a large wall with a stone entrance; the entrance to Zakum. Mixed with the pack of creatures are enormous dog-like beasts with sharp teeth and claws. Sira had heard about these beasts that Yuna had called Bains. They serve as guardians to the temple of Zakum.

The party doesn't have time to reflect on a battle plan. They are quickly noticed by their foes and are forced to defend themselves against the brutal attacks. Sira tries to summon her Dragon Roar, but fails. She settles for slash blasting the mob. Yuna comes to lend them a hand with the mob but as she begins to unleash her skills, the ground starts to tremble. Everyone is surprised at the shaking but continues to fight. Sira and her party dodge some of the falling stones.

'What is that?" shouts Valencia over the noise.

They fight off a few monsters but find themselves cornered against the back wall. Sira and Valencia run and duck from the cave's debris. They find Jaimus along the stone wall.

"I think Zakum is angry," says Valencia.

"Zakum?" says Jaimus. "That doesn't sound good…"  
"It's not…" shouts Valencia.

The shaking continues and the Bain spawn doubles.

"Where is Zenith?" yells Sira.

"I haven't seen him," says Valencia, coughing slightly from the debris.

Sira starts walking along the wall looking for the Assassin with Valencia and Jaimus not far behind. All three are thrown around as a large explosion shakes the earth even more. Sira tumbles to the side and feels someone's hands grab her and prevent her from falling. She sees Zenith but the chaos of the ground shaking and the skills in the background distracts her and she doesn't realise what's going on. Large rocks begin to fall around them. Zenith pulls her forward through an open area in the wall and yells for Valencia and Jaimus. She falls to the ground, coughing from the dust and sees the bowman and cleric slip through the entrance before a landslide of rocks and dirt come crashing down, blocking the entrance.


	31. Chapter 31

Sira staggers to her feet, still a little dizzy from the commotion. She sees a hand held out to her and takes it to regain balance. She looks at Zenith and smiles. She doesn't know why she's smiling. She certainly isn't happy at that moment. Everything feels surreal and fuzzy. She coughs a little from the dust and then turns towards Valencia and Jaimus who are getting back on their feet as well. Sira turns back to Zenith and realises she's still holding his hand. Embarrassed, she pulls her hand away and grabs her spear. She looks around for her Crusader helmet but doesn't see it.

"Good thinking captain," says Jaimus looking at Zenith. "Pull us into the fiery chasm to be blocked away and suffocate."

"If you're so eager to," answers Zenith. "Why don't we dig our way out and feed you to the dog beasts on the other side?"

"Funny," says Jaimus.

"There might be a way out," says Valencia. "Let's look around.

As Jaimus, Zenith and Valencia begin to travel farther into the cave, Sira stays still. Her stomach is unsteady as thoughts go through her mind. She notices her team mates have gone into the cave and runs after them.

"Wait," shouts Sira going deeper into the cave.

She goes through a tunnel and sees her team mates up ahead. When she emerges from the cave tunnel, she looks around at the large area. At one end is a large stone door.

"We shouldn't go farther," says Sira.

The ground begins to shake again, only this time it's much worst. Sira dodges some tumbling rocks. She clings to Valencia for support. Her heart begins to pound faster as the ground beneath their feet starts to crack.

"We need to get out of here," says Sira sounding frightened.

"I second that," says Jaimus.

"No really," says Sira.

"The door," says Jaimus pointing to the door at the other end of the stone hall.

Zenith swiftly jumps towards the door.

"Stairs…" he says. "They lead down."

"No," yells Sira. "We can't! We have to go back."

"Sira," yells Jaimus of the grumbling sounds of the shaking ground. "There's no other way."

"No," answers Sira. "Let's go back."

The panic is Sira's voice is getting stronger. The ground shifts abruptly as the cracks begin to separate the floor of the room. Zenith jumps back to where his team-mates are.

"What do you think is down there?" yells Sira.

She starts pulling Valencia back towards the door they came from. A large rock plummets to the ground beside them causing the ground to break. A strong heat emits from the new chasm in the ground.

"Zakum…" says Valencia, her voice shaky.

They realise Sira's fear and head for the door from which they came. They go to exit but the ground breaks in front of them. They all jump back a few steps to avoid falling through the newly opened rift. In vain they move away from the breaking ground around them. Finally, in one large earth shake the last of their ground breaks and they stumble down into the heat of the unknown space below.


	32. Chapter 32

Sira opens her eyes when she feels someone's arms wrap around her. She puts her hands on the person's arms and examines them in a daze. She isn't sure where she is or what happened. She smiles when she recognizes the arms as Zenith's because of his gloves as well as the Steely in his hand. She suddenly, and confused feels flushed that he's holding her so close. She goes to turn around to look at him but he pulls her back against him. Confused, Sira goes to question him, but Zenith puts his hand over her mouth before she can utter more then a mumble. Reality comes rushing back along with the realisation that this isn't an affectionate embrace. Her eyes search the area through the dust and then images of the earthquake as well as the fall come rushing back. The cave of trials, the chamber… Zakum. She looks around for Valencia and Jaimus but doesn't see any sign of them through the dust and steam off the lava fields near by. Her heart is beating rapidly but she can only feel it, not hear it. There's a clatter of noise coming from behind her: crashing, banging and other loud movements. From time to time she hears a thump that resonates throughout her entire body.

Sira's attention shifts as she feels Zenith move. His face rubs against her neck until his lips are against her left ear.

"Sira," he says. "Turn slowly and look around this rock".

Sira obeys. She pulls slowly away from Zenith just enough to peek around the large rock that she realises is keeping them hidden. As her eyes behold the scene unfolding, her sweat, despite the immense heat, turns cold and a chill runs down her spine. In a large chamber there stands an enraged Aztec giant with 6 flailing arms surrounded by a dozen floating smaller Aztec figures. The steam off the lava fields in the area makes it hard for her to breathe and see clearly. She continues to examine the area as quickly as possible and almost gasps when she sees Valencia not far off in the distance… on the ground. The cleric isn't moving and is covered in some light rock debris. The monsters are near but seem not to have noticed her petite presence yet. She looks around a little more and spots Jaimus hidden behind a boulder around 20 feet away. He is looking back at her and gives her a nervous smile she can barely make out through the steam. She sees no exit, no way to save them.

Sira turns away from the scene and lowers her head; discouraged and afraid. She is surprised to feel Zenith wrap his arms around her again. He pulls her against himself and once again whispers directly in her ear. She isn't sure if the embrace is purely a measure of caution or if it has a meaning of comfort behind it. Either way it makes her feel slightly safer in their no-way-out situation.

"We wait," says Zenith.

Sira shakes her head no.

"We have no choice," he says. "They will come for us when they notice we are missing."

Sira shakes her head no again.

"We don't stand a chance against it," continues Zenith.

Sira can only shake her head again. She dares not try and say something. She doesn't want to imagine waiting and having no one come. What if Valencia dies? What if she is already dead? What if everyone on the outside is killed? What if the Skill Eaters win? Before long her eyes have swelled with tears. All she can do is shake her head no. Zenith continues to hold her, but more tightly against himself now…she senses the comfort in the embrace now. Sira can feel his heart beating rapidly as well; he's just as scared as she is.


	33. Chapter 33

A louder rustle startles both Zenith and Sira. The spear girl turns towards the creatures and it feels like her heart stops for an instant. She sees Jaimus sprinting from behind his rock towards Valencia. Her eyes shift to Valencia who is now awake and has attracted the attention of the Aztec minions. She instinctively breaks from Zenith's hold, grabs her spear on the ground and propels herself in the same direction as Jaimus. She hears Zenith call out her name, but she doesn't stop. Valencia is in danger. She can't allow anything to happen to the cleric; Valencia who followed her to and through the unknown, who protected her and stood by her side.

As the smaller minions charge them, Jaimus fires a volley of arrows. Valencia is crawling away, but an injury to her leg prevents her from standing and running. Sira arrives in time to block an attack with the Iron Wall. She is pushed back from what seems like a laser emitted by the minion. She only has time to cast her Wall again before they are under fire from a volley of the lasers. They are stronger then they appear these Aztec minions. Sira puts her hand over her leg where she was hit by a laser ricocheted off the ground and sees she is bleeding. The lasers cease momentarily and the two women take the chance to run away. In the distance both Jaimus and Zenith fight off their own little batch of minions. The cleric and Spear Girl go to run when Sira feels a cold chill wrap her entire body. The ground, the rocks, everything including themselves are momentarily covered in a thin layer of ice. The ice spell breaks and they both fall to the ground trembling from the cold; quite the contrast from the overwhelming heat from the surrounding lava fields. It isn't long before Sira is once again drenched in sweat from the heat. Valencia tries to do a healing spell but is too weak from her own injuries.

Sira nervously readies her brother's spear. She can't help but remark the spears beauty. She feels absurd to been in awe at a moment like this, but grins a little. The red and black metal is glistening. She doesn't know if it from the light of the various spells or just because it is enjoying the chance to battle again. A spear of this beauty and power deserves to be at the frontline of battle she thinks; her brother's spear, her spear. The spear made from the very bones of the dragon whose spirit flows through her veins like blood.

Three of the little minions are a few feet from her. She sees their claw like hands ready to attack and closes her eyes expecting a hard blow but when nothing happens she opens them once again. The monsters are all caught in a giant spider web. Zenith pulls both Sira and Valencia away from the Aztec guardians. They aren't two feet away when the enormous Zakum turns his gaze on them. He opens his mouth and a bright light shines within. Seconds later the entire party is pushed back by a strong force. All four of them fall to the ground in pain. Sira has no idea of what attack they had just suffered but feels like all of her life and magic energy has been drained from her body. She looks around and sees that the other three are still on the ground, unconscious.

Sira slips her hands shakily into an item pouch that is fastened around her waist and takes out a potion: a pink elixir. She raises the bottle to her lips and drinks it down as fast as she can. The thick liquid oozes down her throat and makes her want to vomit it all back up. She resists the urged and forces it to stay down. She had never been good at taking potions. Sira had always avoided them in the past unless absolutely necessary. Omitting the potions during training had often gotten her exceptionally injured.

She shakes her head and feels her energy seep back through her body again. Sira has a greater resistance to attacks compared to her team-mates. She is worried about them but is unable to do anything for the time being. Zakum and his minions are attacking again.

Her entire body is shaking from the pain of her injuries. The elixir does not heal her wounds, it only restores her enough energy to continue battle. Sweat and blood run down her face. She stands not even for a minute when she receives another blow that knocks her against a boulder a few feet away. She screams out as a large rock shard pierces her side and strikes her rib cage. The feeling is of such intensity that she knows one or two of her ribs are now broken.

She is frightened and angry. It is her fault that her friends will die here today, her fault they are laying on the ground in pain. She curses the dragon knights, she curses Victoria Island, she curses her brother and with every the last bits of strength left she leans down and picks up her spear. Zakum readies another attack. Sira steps forward and leans on her spear, standing between her friends and Zakum.

"Stop," she yells. "Please."

She hears a deep cackle and is struck back again.

"You come into my land, wage war and seek to destroy its own god," says a voice.

An ice attack comes up from the ground, wraps around her legs then shatters. Sira falls to her knees in pain. She bites down on her lip to stop from screaming.

"Please," she yells again. "I seek nothing. The Skill Eaters would have you killed, not I. My enemy is them."

She feels a gust of wind fling her against the boulder once again like a rag doll. She can imagine the sound of her bones rattling as a swarm of pain spreads through her limbs.

"Let us go," she says, barely able to move forward, barely able to speak.

"You should be dead," says the deep voice.

Sira crawls forward then stands by Valencia and Zenith who aren't moving on the ground.

"Kill them," says the voice to his minions.

"No!," shouts Sira ad the Aztec monsters approach. She plants the tip of the spear in the ground for support and leans on it screaming, "No, no, no, no, no". The sound of her words sound more and more muffled from the blood accumulating in her mouth.

With her eyes closed and tears start running through the blood and sweat on her face she grips her spear so tight she can feel her heart beating in her hands. Sira hears her brother's voice suddenly "Use it" and her mind is flooded with rage. Without thinking she swings her body, spear in hand, into the mass of Aztec Minions. All she can think of is the pain and suffering of her team-mates. The rage becomes a madness that envelops her and propels her forward. Sira feels a large amount of energy build up, she concentrates it to her arm holding the spear and lunges it forward in the crowd of Aztec minions. The minions seem to be pulled towards the blade of the spear and in a flash of white light the energy is released and strikes the horde of Aztec creatures. Sira is breathing heavily from such a huge energy surge through her body. She is wide eyed at the sight of the minions backing away. She feels for the energy again then runs towards them unleashing the same energy. She jumps back avoiding their attacks as best as possible by casting her Iron Wall. She can feel it, the rage and hatred her brother had spoken of. It replaces her fear, her pain. She feels it taking over her body with every strike. The familiar frightening rage she had felt in Victoria. Unlike in the past, she doesn't try to stop it or control it like Yuna and Virgo had taught her. Sira uses it. She strikes again until the dozen minions collapse on the ground.

The spear girl is panting and has to rest on one knee. She looks up at Zakum who surprisingly isn't attacking her. She gets off her knee and stands on both feet. She knows it's futile, but she raises her spear and regains her battle stance.

"Foolish human," says the deep voice of Zakum. "You alone stand up to me. No human can take me alone"

"I can't let you kill them," she answers. "We wished not to harm you, but if it means their lives…"

Sira walks up to Zakum, her eyes closed. She can feel the ground trembling under her feet. Her energy is flowing wildly throughout her body.

"What will you do?" asks the voice.

"I will protect them," says Sira, her eyes still closed.

She pushes herself forward with one of her feet and feels a release of energy at her back. She opens her eyes and a shining pair of blue wings forms on her back. She has to concentrate to keep her feet steady on the ground. The energy from the wings is tremendously strong. As she lunges her spear towards zakum she can hear a loud sound like the roar of a great beast. She sees the dragon in her mind, his scaly body bleeding and dying in the sanctuary beneath Victoria Island. She locks her teeth tightly together and strikes the hard rock shell of the Zakum. The moment of contact seems like an eternity. Along with the realisation that she is able to perform the Spear Buster and gain the dragon's wings like Yuna had tried so many times to teach, is the overpowering feel of the clashing energies of herself and Zakum. His own energy is returned through her spear and strikes her body. She screams from the pain of a bone in her arm breaking and is knocked back by the shock. Sira falls to the ground biting her lip until it bleeds to stop from screaming more.

Sira hears a bustling behind her and looks around to see three Skill Eaters crawling down the wall into the chamber. She can barely move from the pain of making contact with Zakum. She clenches the fist of her unharmed arm. Of all things, Skill Eater's have come to make her situation worst. She hopes that the battle was not won by these malevolent creatures. Sira removes the sash that holds her item pouch around her waist and discards the pouch. She can't move her wrist because of the broken bone in her lower arm near her wrist. She grips her spear despite the pain and wraps the sash tightly around her arm and spear securing it. She ties the sash tightly. She needs her left hand to cast Iron Wall in case; her injured arm is all she has to work with. With her back turned to Zakum she walks passed her motionless team-mates and towards the Skill Eaters.

"Human," says the deep voice again.

"If they win," says Sira watching the Skill Eater's approach cautiously. "This will become a world I do not wish to live in."

Sira raises her spear and cringes as the weight of the spear pulls on her broken arm.

"I won't just protect my friends," she says. "I also won't let them take your place as god of these lands, my home."


	34. Chapter 34

The spear girl lets thoughts of the carnage and suffering on Victoria Island fuel her rage. Her energy becomes overwhelming once again. She can feel it coursing through her veins like blood. She is reminded of the feeling she felt when facing the Skill Eater for the first time in Victoria. She was in a similar position, on the verge of death. Her body in a state no normal human could stand or move in. She smiles for no other reason then the feeling of immense power taking hold of her. Her eyes begin to feel like they are watering but when her vision turns red she knows that it is not tears but blood. Everything around her now has the hint of red. She doesn't waste any more time contemplating her energy and charges forward; the Skill Eater's leap towards her as well. Sira avoids the attack attempts of all three of the creatures and swings her spear upward severing the arm of one of the Skill Eater's. It howl's in pain and retaliates by grabbing her spear with the other hand and sends a charge of the lethal white energy she remembers well from the attacks on Victoria Island. She feels the energy touch her hand but pulls away and blocks it with Iron Wall before it's able to penetrate her skin and cause her body to combust. The armless creature swings himself towards her, enraged, but is met with a flash of blue light emitting from Sira's spear in the form of a dragon: Dragon Buster. The Skill Eater is thrown back, crashing to the ground a few feet away. The other two stare at her, hesitating to attack. She can barely move forward but somehow, thanks to her dragon's spirit, she is able to release her attacks. She looks completely possessed and enraged, covered in bruises, cuts and blood.

Both Skill Eaters decide to attack together. Sira isn't agile because of her injuries and isn't able to avoid their attack. One creature grabs her spear and twists it sending the pain of her broken limb climaxing. The other Skill Eater swings his weapon, a mace, and strikes her stomach sending her falling back a few feet onto the ground. More broken ribs? She wonders… Sira sees the skill eaters leap toward her but is surprised to see both of them struck by what she thinks is two very large throwing stars. She turns towards her team-mates and sees that it was Zenith and his Assaulter skill that had faltered the Skill Eater's attempt to attack her.

"Zenith," she says, her voices not sounding like her own.

As his name rolls off her tongue, she feels the blood red vision and rage flush slightly from her body. Her gaze moves to Valencia who is healing Zenith.

"Valencia," says Sira softly while standing up.

Zenith throws an elixir to Jaimus and the bowman chugs it down.

"Jaimus," says Sira, this time tears beginning to swell in her eyes.

"Not the time to be crying Sira," says Zenith pointing behind her.

Sira spins around and blocks an attack from a Skill Eater with Iron Wall. She almost faints from the pain in her arm, but manages to steady herself on one knee. She removes the shield and sees the Skill Eater's under the fire of Holy Arrows, arrows and Assaulter. She thanks her friends silently then backs away from them and concentrates her remaining energy into her spear. She pushes herself and the weapon forward. Her energy is released in a flash of white, her unknown skill, bringing down both of the creatures.

The spear girl collapses onto the ground and her friends rush to her side. Valencia begins a healing spell to restore some of the lost energy. Jaimus and Zenith stare at the enormous Zakum giant looming, to their surprise, silently over them. The assassin and bowman are ready to attack if the Aztec God moves. Sira regains awareness and opens her eyes. She can feel the pain of her wounds throughout her body but is relieved by the spell Valencia is casting. Her eyes are fixated on Zakum. She isn't frightened looking at him like she was before. There is nothing more she can do but hope he doesn't smite them on the spot.

"Foolish human," says the deep voice resonating against the chamber walls.

Valencia, Jaimus and Zenith flinch at the sound the Voice. They don't see its mouth move. The voices seems like it is all around them. Zakum moves a little, but not in a manacing way.

"I have never encountered one as stubborn as you," he says.

Sira can't help but laugh a little. She thinks suicidal or insane suits her better then stubborn.

"My wrath is not towards the humans," he says. "You have proved that to me today."

The ground shakes a little and Zakum begins to become one with the earth around it, descending into the stone and lava.

"Become stronger," he says before disappearing completely. "Someday maybe you will be able to defeat me, human… nay, Dark Knight."

Sira is relieved, as are her team-mates. She rests her head on Valencia's lap while the cleric performs more healing spells. She had protected them, but in the end they had saved her. All there is left to do is wait. Wait to see if someone comes for them. Wait to see if the people of Ossyria are able to defeat the Skill Eaters. Sira quickly opens her eyes as those thoughts pass through her mind.

"Sira lay still," says Valencia.

"The Skill Eaters," says Sira sitting up. "They came in the way we did."

The other three realise what Sira is saying. The entry that was block, it must have been taken down if the Skill Eaters had entered.

"Here," says Zenith holding out his hand to Sira.

The spear girl stands with the assassin's help. He hoists her onto his back.

"Let's try and climb out of here. There are a lot of rocks over near where we fell," explains Zenith.

"My lady," says Jaimus gesturing to Valencia. "Would you like to be aided as well."

The bowman nods towards Sira who is on Zenith's back. Valencia smiles and walks passed Jaimus towards the landslide of rocks.

"I am able," says Valencia climbing up a few of the fallen boulders.

"Rejected," says Jaimus following Valencia.

With a little hassle and effort, all four manage to climb out of the chamber and back to the area where they had fallen from. They make their way back through the tunnel and out into the area they had first arrived in when trapped. Sira points to the unblocked entrance. As they make their way cautiously towards the doorway, a figure appears through it. Sira hears a commanding voice she recognizes.

"Search every area," says the voice. "I see not their bodies. Zakum seems to…"

The voice goes to continue but stops when the four team-mates approach. Sira smiles at Yuna, as she still clings to Zenith's shoulders on his back.

"You," says Yuna. "You… you…"

The Dragon Knight walks towards Sira and stops in front of them.

"You reckless, disobedient…" Yuna stops herself and puts her hand on Sira's head. "It's a damn good thing you're still alive missy."

Sira can't help but laugh a little. She goes to ask Yuna about the Skill Eaters, but she answers before Sira has the chance to utter a single word.

"Dead, every last one of them," says Yuna with a slight grunt at the end. "Damn vile creatures gave us a hard time."

Yuna walks back towards the entrance and yells out.

"Virgo!" she says. "Found 'em. I told you the stubborn brat would be alive. She's like a cockroach that one!"

Yuna leaves the area and the four others follow her. They're surprised to see how little had survived the battle. It was hard to distinguish from the creatures and the Ossyrian army among the dead scattered everywhere. Sira feels her heart sink and her eyes build up with tears again. She thinks she might cry but the sight of some of the survivors make it less painful. Virgo, Chris (still dressed as a female warrior) and Tylus are not far off. Her eyes land on some other familiar faces and her grip on Zenith's shoulders tighten. Zenith sees the small group of people as well and doesn't know how to react. In the distance, Dark Lord, Manji, Chum ji and a few others from Victoria Island are making their way towards them.


	35. Chapter 35

The four team-mates, Sira, Zenith, Jaimus and Valencia listen to the Victoria and Osyrria council speak to the crowd of gathered fighters from both lands. It has been three days since the battle in the Cave of Trials. Sitting Bull and Tylus has called a meeting for all the fighters gathered in Ossyria.

"Long have our lands been in feud over past incidents and beliefs," explains Tylus. "Long have my brother and I been unable to see eye to eye when it comes to training and commanding an army of warriors."

Tylus and Sitting Bull exchange looks and nod.

"What the recent events have taught us," he continues. "What the actions of some people have taught us…"

Sira feels Tylus and Sitting Bull's gaze on her and her friends.

"…Is that we have been governed by greed and fear," finishes by saying Tylus.

"We in Victoria feared the 3rd job power because of misuse in the pass," Says Sitting Bull this time. "While my brother in Ossyria embraced it and developed means of controlling it. We can not make up for the lives lost, the time wasted. However we can learn from our past mistakes and move on through compromise."

Sira feels a hand slip onto hers. She looks at Zenith through the corner of her eye, but he doesn't take his gaze away from the council at the front of the room. The assassin wraps his hand around hers and gives it a light squeeze. Sira feels her cheeks become warm and red.

"We will continue to train new warriors, magicians, rogues and archers on Victoria Island," explains Master Hynes of Ellinia. "However, when they reach the 3rd job level, Tylus, Robeira and the others of the Ossyrian council will take over the training for those who wish to continue.

"The team system has shown that the different classes compliment each other very well," explains Athena of Henesys. "They will not be mandatory for everyday training, but for certain missions we shall once again implement the use of mix classes."

"This will also be implemented and used in Ossyria," explains Robeira.

"Some of you have requested to remain in your teams for training," says Dark Lord. "That is acceptable as well."

Jaimus winks at his team-mates. Valencia, Zenith and Sira answer with a small smile. A few seconds of silence pass before the leaders continue.

"Have you any questions?" asks Tylus.

Jaimus raises his hand after pondering something quickly.

"Sirs," he says after standing up. "Victoria Island has lived through a great loss. You speak of training new fighters but there are no more. Entire armies, clans and families were killed."

Athena gestures for Jaimus to be seated.

"Your question is well thought," says the leader of the Archer army. "While we mourn the loss of those who passed on, we always think about the future of Victoria Island. Since the destruction in Victoria, we the leaders of the armed forces have made steps to recruit people who wish to be trained to fight, who wish to help rebuild and make Victoria their home. On a small island to the south west of Victoria Island, named Maple Island, there is a large population of farmers and fishermen. A great number of them have already shown interest in training on our lands."

Jaimus leans over to Valencia and whispers discreetly to her.

"We get to play with little noobies," says Jaimus.

"Shush you," she whispers back. "You're so rude."

"Please mama can I keep him as a pet?" continues Jaimus.

Valencia gives Jaimus a tap on the arm. She keeps her serious manner but she can't help but smile for just a second.

"You're such a dork," she answers.

Sira who overhears Valencia looks at Jaimus and gestures yes by nodding slightly. She mouths the words "She's right." Jaimus playfully does a shocked expression. Zenith shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"With our new training system in place," says Sitting Bull, "as well as our new found allies in Ossyria, we will become stronger. So go forth and aid where you can. The new recruits from Maple Island will come, train them hard… Their story has just begun."

THE END

Thank you for reading my story


End file.
